RWBY: Crimson Shadow
by Chinsangan
Summary: You've been all over Remnant within eleven years. You've been forced to learn from a variety of teachers from a selection of schools. Now you're coming to Beacon, but for how long? All you know is that you're to finish your training there, and your new father is none other than Professor Ozpin: Headmaster of Beacon Academy (Male Reader x Ruby Rose)
1. Volume 1 - Chapter 1: A Warm Greeting

**Chapter 1: A Warm Greeting**

A man sits comfortably in his office, signing and editing a single page. Everything on his desk is extremely neat, not that there's a lot on there to begin with. There is the page he is working on, along with a single pen, tan coloured folder, and the coffee mug he's never seen without. The midday sun gleams down into the office through the clock window. It doesn't disturb him in the slightest. He gratefully accepts the warm embrace on his back. It keeps his entire body at a decently warm temperature with his upper back suffering for the pleasure.

The man houses a head of messy grey hair with small brown eyes. He has a pair of peculiar, small, circular, shaded glasses resting on his nose that are more suited for reading than anything else. His clothes consist of a green scarf wrapped around his neck with none of it showing, and a purple cross right where his Adam's apple would be. He also wears an unzipped black suit that covers a buttoned vest and green undershirt. He uses dark-green pants to cover his legs and black shoes for his feet. This man is the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. This man is Professor Ozpin.

Ozpin cracks a slight smirk after he weaves his signature into the final spot, finishing the work that is this form. He lets out a relieved sigh and leans back in his chair, grabbing his coffee and taking a sip. Not a second later a woman bursts through the door, filling the room with her assertive presence. Ozpin peeks above his dark glasses to look up at the woman. Her blonde hair tied is into a bun, but still neatly dangling around her face. Her white business shirt is complimented by her black business skirt, dotted with four brown buttons that keep it together. She has a black cape flowing behind her, though the inside of it is purple. The woman stares down at Ozpin, her green eyes glaring through her small oval glasses.

"You requested my presence?" She politely asks, her tone slightly lighter than the presence she emanated.

"I did. I need you to double check this, just in case. I trust it's a simple task, Glynda?"

Glynda looks down at the page, deducting that this is what Ozpin was referring to.

"Hm, nothing I can't handle."

Glynda picks up the paper, adjusting her glasses so she can read more comfortably. As her eyes scan the page they widen a bit.

"A new student mid-semester? You've never allowed this, Ozpin," she comments. "He won't have a team either."

"Yes, an oddity for me I realize, but I'm making an exception for this one," he replies, taking another sip of his coffee.

"I must ask why? What makes this student so special? Does he have a unique semblance? Superior fighting skills?"

Ozpin shakes his head.

"No, he's an above average student, from what his previous instructors have reported."

Glynda raises her brow, moving her glasses a bit.

"So… what's your angle here? Why accept him?"

Ozpin fixes his glasses, takes a sip of coffee and smiles.

"It's a promise, Glynda. A duty, if you will."

Glynda looks back down at the page, rescanning the information.

"Well, he does sound… familiar. Who is he exactly?"

Ozpin exits his chair, grabbing his cane and coffee as he extends his legs and stands in a single fluid motion. He turns around and walks towards his window, his little observation deck for Beacon academy – his academy.

"You'll know when you see him, I think. His resemblance is uncanny."

Glynda doesn't know exactly how to take Ozpin's remark. It's obvious that she knows whoever this student is in some way, but how does he know she'll instantly recognize him? Her intrigue is only on the rise now, and in the same light, it irritates her. The mystery of this new student creeps into her mind like all things she's unaware of. While one would think she'd be used to Ozpin's vagueness by now, her teacherly pursuit for knowledge still made that aspect of the man annoyingly unbearable sometimes.

"But…" She sighs. "Very well. I'll trust you. So, when is he due to arrive?"

Ozpin continues to gaze out the window, looking to the wilderness of Vale.

"It should be within a day now. However, I think it's only fair to send a welcome wagon for him. What do you think?" He asks, not looking back at the huntress.

"I… will defer to your judgement on that. So, do you have a team in mind to welcome him?"

Ozpin smirks.

"I do indeed."

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Beacon, the prestigious academy and focal point of Vale. It's the most prominent sight from the city and a place all people love. It's peaceful, quiet, and nothing could-

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" A girl screams, clearly whining about something – her higher pitch voice piercing through the halls of Beacon. "IF SOMEONE DOESN'T GIVE IT BACK IN THE NEXT FIVE SECONDS!"

The entire dorm room bursts out laughing at the woman's expense.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY! AAAGH, YANG!"

"What?" Yang asks in between fits of laughter. "I didn't, hehe, I didn't do a thing."

"EGH! YOU'RE ALL UNBEARABLE!"

A white haired, pale woman storms out of one of the dorms. Her clothes match her perfectly, as her skirt, boots, and shirt are all white, the exception being her jacket which is an extremely light shade of blue that one could mistake for white, and the inside of her jacket being a tame red. Her blue eyes are lit up to basically red and her once pale complexion does the same. The most notable feature is a small, crooked scar down her left eye which nobody but her knows the origins of. At the moment her blue eyes held a raging fury and her once pale complexion is several shades redder. Her fists are clenched tightly to her sides and her wrists angling them towards the ceiling. Her stomping through the halls echoes, letting everyone know this girl in on the move, and no doubt furious.

"Weiss! Come on!" A long, yellow haired woman calls out, poking her head out from her dorm, the shoulders of her brown jacket and orange scarf poking out with her. Her loose, hair flows down her head. She has a massive smile on her face even while dealing with the overbearing, loud, and pissed off Weiss.

Yang shrugs and slips back into the room, closing the door behind her. She looks to her two roommates, Blake Belladonna and Ruby Rose. Blake is in her usual outfit, as is Ruby. The former has her black hair waving down her back which is complimented by an equally black bow tied on top of her head. Instead of a school uniform, she dons a white sleeveless shirt that doesn't quite cover her lower stomach, along with a black vest that loosely attaches near the middle of her stomach. She has a very short pair of white shorts that are accompanied by stockings that start as black but slowly transition to purple around the knees. Finally, she covers her feet with black, low-heeled boots.

Ruby, similarly to Blake, has lots of black. Her somewhat messier shoulder length hair is a black with an ever slight red tint that becomes more prominent on its tips. She wears a black blouse and skirt, with the skirt and sleeves having red trimmings at the bottom. She has black leggings to cover her legs with red and black boots to match. To finish it off, she has a red hood that goes down to her upper thighs being held to her by two silver crosses. Her black belt holds a silver emblem of a flaming rose on the left side, and several silver sniper shells on her right.

Ruby looks at Yang with her silver eyes with joy.

"Yang, ha, you really gotta stop annoying Weiss, as funny as it can be," she giggles.

Yang shrugs.

"I wish I could annoy her like that. If only I had thought of it before you had."

Ruby blinks and her laughter dies down quite suddenly.

"M-Me? I thought you did it."

Ruby and Yang share a blank gaze, blinking twice before they turn to meet Blake's amber orbs. She'd already calmed down. She darts her eyes between them rapidly, picking up on what they are getting at.

"It wasn't me, if that's what you're thinking," she clears up.

Ruby raises her hand to her chin in a pondering posture.

"Well, if it wasn't us… who was it?"

The girls all think on this for a moment, unable to get an answer.

"Maaaybe we should go after her?" Ruby suggests.

The other two nod in agreement.

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Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, stomps around the campus of Beacon with the intention of going to the library. Her huffs and constant mumbling keep everyone away, for they don't want to risk a vocal bombardment, which is debatably more lethal than a conventional one when Weiss is the deliverer.

"Dolt! Just because she doesn't care about school doesn't mean I can't. Stealing my notes for tomorrow's test is just unforgivable. Unforgivable!"

Weiss approaches the library and pushes the doors open loud enough to make everyone look over at the woman. Weiss, not really caring about the attention, marches into the library and to the history section. She looks through the books in an attempt to find the material she would need to study. She already had all the notes she would ever need, but thanks to a certain teammate of hers she's going to have to make due. Furious at the thought she clenches her fists even tighter.

Suddenly a hand rests on her shoulder. Weiss turns around, ready to flip on whoever dares to touch her. She calms down a bit when she sees a warm pair of green eyes.

"Weiss, are you okay? You looked rather… agitated when you came in," she asks with concern.

"It's…" Weiss lets out a loud sigh. "It's nothing, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha Nikos, one of the most – if not THE most – talented student at Beacon Academy. Her apparel resembles that of a gladiator, having a dual layered, strapless top that switches between a darker bronze on the sides and a lighter bronze down the middle. The middle makes a slight V shape for the gorget around her neck, also bronze with a small emerald at the base. She wears long, brown gloves that go up a little bit past her elbows. However, her left arm houses a little more, with a brown circlet wrapped around her muscle and a bracer that covers some of her arm. The shirt doesn't quite make it down her entire stomach, leaving a sliver of skin between the shirt and her skirt. Her brown skirt isn't very prominent due to the fact that she has a red, ankle-length drapery that wraps around her waist which is held there by a brown belt with few decorations. Her legs are enveloped in bronze greaves that begins around her mid-thigh, showing little leg skin. Her feet are housed in a simple pair of brown and bronze boots. One of her most notable features is her long red hair that's tied into a pony tail. It is accompanied by a bronze circlet headpiece.

"Nothing ordinary make you this distressed. Is everything alright?"

Weiss sighs. Knowing there will be no way to escape Pyrrha she submits. The two take a seat at a nearby table, sitting opposite to one another.

"I just got mad. Yang, I think, though it's possible it could have been Ruby or Blake, stole my notes for tomorrow's history test and won't tell me where she hid them," Weiss explains.

"Are you sure you didn't just… lose them?" Pyrrha offers up with some caution and a hesitant smile, but the frown she receives in return was answer enough. "Hm… Well I assume you already know most of the content anyway, right?"

Weiss sits a bit straighter with a small smirk at the compliment, unable to help feeling a bit proud that her diligence in class is being acknowledged. She quickly puts on a serious face so it isn't quite as obvious.

"It's the principle of the matter! We're a team! We shouldn't be doing this to each other!"

Pyrrha takes a moment to think.

"Well, I can see where you're coming from. I would side with you in this case because they evidently have kept the joke running for too long," Pyrrha deducts.

Weiss brings her hands together and adopts an evil persona.

 _That just means I'll have to get back at them! The prank of all pranks! I'll show them what happens when you mess with WEISS SCHNEE!_

Pyrrha stares at Weiss with a bit of concern. She looks so dastardly and evil right now. Suddenly Weiss stands up in a triumphant manner, yet she still hasn't said one word. Pyrrha feels nearly invisible right now to Weiss, yet the center of attention in the library. A good amount of people start to stare the two girls now. Pyrrha stands up and reaches out to Weiss in an attempt to snap her out of whatever trance she's in, but, in a blur, someone reaches her first.

"Ms. Schnee!" He shouts, startling Weiss which makes her fall onto her face.

"Ow!" She whines.

Weiss rubs the spot where most or the impact hit. She pushes herself up and turns around only to be met by a green haired man with oval glasses. A lazily tucked in white shirt with a barely tied yellow tie reside on this man, along with dark green pants and a mismatch colour for his shoes – one being brown and the other being black.

"Ms. Schnee! What were you doing here without your notes?" He accuses, speaking so fast it's hard to know exactly what he is saying.

"My… notes? Well Yang…"

Before Weiss can explain she notices a binder in the man's free hand.

"Professor Oobleck… you have my notes?" She weakly asks, slowly coming to terms that she may have been wrong.

"I do indeed. You seemed to have left them here at some point in the day. Perhaps when you were studying for tomorrow's test." Oobleck takes a long sip of coffee, sighs in relief, and then moves right up to Weiss' face. "And it's Doctor Oobleck."

Dr. Oobleck hands Weiss all her notes, which Weiss grabs immediately. She looks at the notes for a second, contemplating what this means.

 _So… they didn't hide it… and I yelled at all of them…_

"Try not to lose your notes again Ms. Schnee. It would be terrible waste. Good day to you both," Dr. Oobleck waves before bolting off.

Pyrrha watches him leave, then returns her gaze to Weiss, who is conflicted at the moment. Pyrrha smiles and walks up to her friend. She once again places her hand on Weiss' shoulder, making Weiss break out of her trance.

"Seems like things weren't the way you predicted. Perhaps an apology to your teammates is in order."

Weiss cringes for a moment then relaxes.

"Well you don't have to rub it in my face," Weiss remarks.

Pyrrha smiles and takes her leave, exiting the library altogether. Weiss waits for Pyrrha to leave before looking her direction. She looks back to the binder and sighs. As much as she doesn't want to, she'll have to apologize to her team.

Weiss holds her binder under her left arm and strolls out of the library, making much less of a scene and attracting the average amount of looks she usually gets. She exits the library and looks around the campus grounds. There's no sign of her team, so she goes to the first place she would imagine them being: the dorm.

With this thought, Weiss immediately begins heading towards her dorms. She passes a few students training to hone their skills. She's interested in doing the same afterwards. Perhaps Pyrrha is free later on. She didn't seem to be doing anything at the moment, but there's a possibility she'll be busy. Blake might be interested in training, or really anyone in RWBY. Even Ren would be a decent option. Weiss doesn't have much knowledge of his combat abilities so fighting him could be a nice refresher.

With Weiss in her little dream world she fails to notice Professor Ozpin walk in front of her.

"Ms. Schnee," he greets.

Weiss snaps out of her world and looks up at Ozpin.

"Oh, hello Professor. Do you need something from me?" She pleasantly asks.

"I do, actually." Ozpin takes a gander of his surroundings. "Where's your team?"

"Oh… well I'm not sure. They should be around some-"

"WEISS!" A young voice cries out. "WEEIIIIS!"

Ozpin and Weiss look towards the source of the sound. Ruby, Blake, and Yang are scouring the courtyard for their runaway teammate. Ozpin lets out a guilty smile.

"Seems your team always shows up where they're needed," he comments.

Weiss turns to Ozpin and gives him a questioning look. She has no idea what he's talking about. Well, she gets the basis of what he's saying but the tone he used makes it sound like he had a deeper meaning than the current situation.

Blake is the one to notice Weiss and Ozpin looking in their direction. She taps Yang and points over at the two. Yang, in turn, alerts Ruby.

"Why is Weiss with Professor Ozpin?" Blake brings up.

"You think she's telling on us?" Ruby ask, shuttering at the thought.

"Come on Ruby! Who 'tells on people'?" Yang chuckles.

The three stay silent, deeply thinking about Yang's comment. They all look at each other a little worried.

"Maybe we should hurry over there," Yang recommends.

The three nod in agreement and jog over to Weiss and Ozpin. The professor and heiress smile at their approach.

"Weiss, I'm sorry but none of us took your binder! I swear! Please don't tell on us," Ruby begs in a voice that only makes Weiss and Ozpin confused.

"Tell… on you? You're such a child, Ruby," Weiss scolds, yet her voice is somewhat light hearted. "I actually think that… I might… possibly owe you all an… apology," she sheepishly admits, not daring to make eye contact with her teammates.

Ruby, Blake, and Yang all stand with raised eye brows and confused faces. They have no idea what Weiss is doing. Apologizing? Weiss? It's not often you see that happen. Weiss moves her hands in front of her, revealing her notes.

"I left these in the library, but I blamed you all for their disappearance." Weiss throws away the sheepish and timid act she has now for a more confident and Weiss-like persona. "That was my mistake and I'm going to live up to it. I'm sorry Yang, I'm sorry Ruby, and I'm sorry Blake."

Weiss' eyes move between her teammates periodically, waiting for a response from them. She was expecting some teasing or possibly even them being frustrated with her for blaming them so quickly. Weiss usually is the one to promote camaraderie and trust within team RWBY, but then she throws that all out the window in an instant. She realizes she's being a complete hypocrite, and she doesn't want that. As much as this apology goes against what she normally does, it's well deserved.

On the other hand, Ruby, Blake, and Yang aren't really sure what to do. They all have blank faces, making it hard to tell what their intentions or reaction will be. Weiss and Ozpin wait patiently for the rest of team RWBY to respond. Ruby, being the leader, decides to speak first. She walks up to Weiss and smiles.

"Apology accepted, Weiss."

That's all she says. No teasing, no jokes, no remark about how Weiss can be a drama queen or jump to conclusions. That's it. Just an accepted apology. A smile slowly creeps onto Weiss' face due to that fact. She looks at her other friends. Blake crosses her arms and smirks a bit, while Yang has a full blown smile on her face. The two are in agreement with Ruby's response and feel the same way.

"Well, I'm glad that little fiasco is over and done with. Wouldn't want anything to get in the way of your assignment," Ozpin comments, taking a sip of coffee once his statement is complete.

Three girls look to Ozpin with confusion, while Ruby looks at him with a great big smile.

"Assignment? We're getting a mission!?" Ruby squeals in delight, trying not to make a scene but the happy emotions running through her body make that extremely difficult.

"As I said, it's not so much of a mission… but I suppose you could call it that if you want to."

Ruby jumps in the air, sending one fist up.

"YEAH!" She shouts.

Yang quickly moves beside her little sister and rests her hands on Ruby's ever moving shoulders in an attempt to calm her down.

"Whoa, easy there lil' sis."

"So, what is this mission?" Blake inquires.

Ozpin takes another drink.

"Come to my office. I'll explain it all there."

Ozpin turns around and begins walking towards the main building of Beacon. The girls quickly follow him, Ruby still giggling about her new mission. Weiss shakes her head at Ruby's action.

"You're such a child. At least try to be more mature about this," Weiss lectures.

"Coming from the girl who threw a temper tantrum over some notes," Blake says under her breath.

"Oh there it is! I knew that was coming at some point! You know I thought we were more mature as a team!"

Ozpin sighs and takes a drink. He isn't showing it, but he is amused by team RWBY's diversity at the moment. Ruby, a girl who is overexcited for her first mission. Yang, who's trying to calm down her little sister – something Yang isn't usually doing. Then there's Weiss and Blake having their own mini argument. Even at this odd point, Ozpin is sure there's no better team for this task than team RWBY.

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The five reach Ozpin's office, his clockwork design ever moving, ever ticking. He takes a seat in his chair and calmly places his hands on his desk. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang stand at attention in front of his desk. Ruby still has a smile on her face born from excitement. Ozpin surveys them all, staying silent and calm. RWBY starts becoming a little anxious at the silence.

Ozpin takes one more drink and sighs.

"We have a new student coming to Vale."

"Ooooh, who is-"

Blake covers Ruby's mouth, quickly shushing her. Ozpin clears his throat, starting again.

"As I was saying we have a new student coming to Vale. However, against my recommendations this student has decided to travel on foot rather than a ship. From the letter he sent me, he shouldn't be too far away now. I want you four to meet up with him at a nearby village, then bring him back to Beacon."

"So, what does he look like?" Yang cheerfully asks.

Ozpin smiles. He raises his coffee to his mouth but does not take a drink yet.

"You'll know him when you see him."

"That's not cryptic," Weiss mutters.

"There's a Bullhead waiting to transport you near the location he's expected to be. Please, make haste ladies," Ozpin calmly orders.

"May I ask a question Professor Ozpin," Weiss pipes up.

Ozpin nods, signaling her to go ahead.

"Why is there a student joining in between semesters? That's never happened in the history of Beacon Academy."

Ozpin smiles, remembering that Glynda asked the same question.

"Let's just say it's a necessary transfer. When he arrives I'll explain it."

Weiss furrows her brow, thinking that she really didn't get her question answered at all. Blake has a similar expression to Weiss. She can't deny that she's curious about this as well.

"You best hurry girls. You don't want to miss him," Ozpin suggests.

Ruby nods.

"Alright team RWBY! Let's go do our first mission! Yeah!" Ruby cheers, turning around and practically bouncing towards the exit.

Yang and Blake follow suite, while Weiss hangs back for a moment. She sighs in annoyance before joining her team.

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Fully armed just in case, team RWBY makes their way to the docking area. Ruby, somehow still chipper about finally being given a mission, leads the group. Weiss walks in front of Yang and Blake, who are side-by-side. The girls find a Bullhead fired up but stationary. They infer that this has to be the ship their taking for their mission. They all get in and take a seat.

"You're team RWBY?" The pilot asks.

Ruby nods.

"Yep, that's us!"

"Alright. Let's get moving then. Sean?"

"Yeah, I'm on it, sheesh," the co-pilot mumbles.

The four take a seat and stare out at Beacon. Soon enough the outer doors close, keeping their area much quieter. They feel the Bullhead rise into the air then begin flying. Weiss looks at her teammates, seeing if they're going to say anything before she does. Noticing they all seem to be distracted, she takes her turn.

"So does anyone else have a weird feeling about this?" Weiss asks.

"What? It's just a new student. Maybe he'll be your type, Weiss," Yang jokes.

"Ahaha, Weiss' type," Ruby giggles, covering her mouth.

"Shush you!" She snaps, staring at Ruby. She then turns her attention back to Yang. "And that's not what I meant."

"It is odd, I'll admit," Blake adds. "I mean, why couldn't he be here when we first enrolled? Why does he get to join now?"

"Guys, come on. He's just another student, not some special guest or something," Ruby says. "Maybe he got recommended here from Professor Ozpin himself."

"That's true. Ruby was able to skip two years, so who says Professor Ozpin can't accept a student after enrollment," Blake concurs.

Ruby and Yang nod in agreement whilst Weiss crosses her arms.

"Well… I suppose. We'll just have to see when we meet him."

Everyone stays silent for a moment before Ruby thinks of something.

"Do any of us even know what he looks like?"

"No, dunce. Remember the Professor said we'll know him when we see him," Weiss scolds.

"Well how does that even help?" Ruby retorts.

Weiss stays silent, her eyes moving from one place to the other.

"I don't know?" She shrugs her shoulders. "I was the one who pointed out the flaw in it, after all."

"So we just look for someone who looks like a Hunter. None of us necessarily look inconspicuous," Blake comments.

"Well, except for Jaune," Ruby corrects.

Weiss rolls her eyes and huffs.

"Don't even mention him to me right now."

Yang chuckles. "Lady-killer's still asking you out, huh?"

"It's almost every day now! I mean really, when will he take the hint? Yang, you must have dealt with a lot of boys. How did you deal with them?"

"I punched them, obviously," she responds happier than a normal person should when saying that.

Weiss' face changes to a thinking one, then a smile slowly creeps onto it.

"Don't! Don't punch Jaune!" Ruby exclaims.

"Oh fine," Weiss pouts.

Even when they don't talk, there is no silence. The shaking of the ship as it flies through the air, the small amount of wind that seems to be coming through a miniscule sliver of the door that has a high pitched howl. The girls aren't used to using this ship for travel purposes. In fact, this is the first time they've been in one. So far, this experience is going slightly better than their first airship ride to Beacon, especially for Yang, since she has a distinct lack of puke on her shoes. She'll take a barely audible noise over puke on her shoes any day of the week.

Ruby yawns and slacks into her seat, letting her legs move farther into the middle of the floor. Weiss sits perfectly straight and regal as she usually does.

"Place could use a window," Yang admits.

"This is for combat missions, Yang. Closed for transportation, open when people are exiting," Weiss explains. "Did you know they actually use to have windows for the passengers? It's not till ground combatants starting throwing explosives through the windows that they decided to be rid of them. Actually the-"

"Fine! I get it! No windows!" Yang cuts in, saving everyone from a lecture.

"Well I'm sorry for trying to teach you something," Weiss says in a snarky manner.

"I've learnt enough for the test, thanks. Don't need any useless information clogging it up."

"It's not useless!"

Ruby and Blake fold in on themselves as Weiss and Yang go back and forth. Blake's bow starts twitching a bit from the two loudmouths. Ruby attempts to block them out and think of something that might distract her. The first thing that comes to mind is her weapon, Crescent Rose, and its intricate design. Ruby did design it, after all. So she begins thinking about all the little nooks and crannies of the weapon, how it's pieced together, how it forms into a sniper and what the bullets are. All these details and more start occupying space in Ruby's thoughts. This leads to a new idea in her mind: what weapon could this new guy have? Of course she was interested in what this new guy would be like, but Ruby couldn't deny that her intrigue in his weapon excited her even more. How did he make it? Does it do anything awesome? Could he be another scythe wielder like her? All these questions made Ruby bounce – almost squeal – in excitement.

This giddiness didn't go unnoticed by her team. Yang moves beside Ruby and pulls her in close.

"Calm down little sis."

Ruby comes back to the real world, confused as to why Yang is hugging her.

"Yang… Yang," she whimpers, struggling to breathe.

Blake and Weiss can't help but smile at the sight. It's a humourous moment, even if it's one they've seen a few times before.

"Ladies! We're nearing the drop off point," the pilot shouts.

Yang lets go out Ruby and walks towards the closed door. Ruby takes a moment to regain her breath and brush herself off before doing the same. Weiss and Blake stand on the opposite side of Ruby and Yang, also ready. Soon enough the sides open, revealing the beauty of Remnant.

Surprisingly the area they're in seems rather peaceful for a place outside the city. Luscious and vibrant trees colour the landscape with their leaves. They can even see a few animals rushing through the trees in fear of the man-made machine. The Bullhead slowly descends onto the grass, flattening it underneath its heavy body of metal. Once fully landed, the girls hop out of the flying vehicle.

"We'll be here when you complete your mission. If, by chance, any Grimm show up then we'll be airborne in the area," the pilot informs.

"Right. Thank you for the ride!" Ruby happily says.

The girls take a few steps away from the Bullhead and towards the small village. It's not big at all, maybe a max of eight houses in a small area. There are some townsfolk out and about but now they're all staring at the girls with questioning looks, wondering what they could be doing in a quiet village like theirs. The majority of the men and women staring at the Huntresses look like farmers. It makes sense. To the left of the village – in sight of the girls – does seem to be what looks like a farm. They can even see a cow or two.

"Maybe we should ask the locals if they've seen our boy," Yang suggests.

Ruby nods.

"That sounds like the best way to get started."

"But we should try not to stir anyone up, just in case. Let's just ask around and get out of here," Weiss says.

The girls all agree and head out, taking a leisurely pace to the village as to not look like trouble. It's not the most foolproof plan since each member of team RWBY alone would stick out like a sore thumb in these parts. The farmers start whispering to themselves, asking each other questions.

Blake's ears twitch a bit. Ruby notices this and shuffles beside her.

"Can you hear what they're saying?"

"Somewhat, yes. Nothing bad. They're just confused why Huntresses are here," Blake whispers, her eyes darting between the farmers.

The four girls enter the village, all eyes still on them. Ruby, being the leader, decides to take the initiative and talk to someone. She breaks away from the group and walks towards a farmer with a happiness in her step. The farmer she approaches doesn't flinch or show any sort of fear of the Huntress in training. He was more curious than anything.

"Hi! I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"Hello… I am Tanner. May I help you?" He shyly asks.

"We were actually wondering if you've seen a man lately? He would look similar to us."

Tanner shakes his head.

"No, nobody has passed through the village but you. There was a larger group that was near the outskirts, but they passed by a short while ago."

"Hmm," Ruby mumbles, taking in the information. "Alright. Thanks for your help. Take care, friend."

Ruby walks back to her team, who are all patiently awaiting their leader.

"So?" Weiss demands.

"They haven't seen any boy walking around here."

"So we finally can go look around?" Yang eagerly asks, stretching her back.

"Yeah, lets get moving. We'll split up to cover some more ground. If anyone finds him, or trouble, then call us on our scrolls."

Yang, Blake, and Weiss nod at the instructions. The four girls head in different directions, but all northern to the village. Ruby heads more to the left while Blake takes the right. Yang and Weiss stay in the area in between the other two – Weiss being closer to Blake while Yang is closer to Ruby.

Blake takes more into the forested area that she gazed upon during the landing. She liked these due to its familiar feeling. She spent a lot of time outside of the cities, scouring multiple forests. It reminds her of those days, even if that reminder has a darker side to it. She refuses to focus on that side of it, though. That was another life; one she won't ever embrace again. Even with that mindset, she can't help but think about those times with the White Fang. She's more nostalgic about the times when she didn't have to steal or hurt people, before they became the organization they are today.

Blake stops near a tree and leans on it. In front of her is a decent sized plain of grass with no trees whatsoever. Wind brushes over the grass like a paint brush, making the individual blades move beautifully. Blake smiles at the sight. She hasn't gotten the chance to see nature like this for a while – not since she joined Beacon. Sure, there was the few times they went into the forests for an assignment, but there was work to do. Then again, there's work to do now too.

Suddenly Blake's ears pick something up. She can hear someone… screaming? That's what it sounds like. Blake instantly starts running towards the source of the sound, which seems to be coming from the other end of the field. About halfway through the field Blake sees someone rush out from the forest. It's a Faunus boy with, like Blake, cat ears. He looks a little older than Blake by a few years. He has shaggy brown hair that almost makes his ears invisible, but Blake knows a Faunus when she sees one. He has an all black attire that doesn't allow any of his skin to be shown.

"HELP! HELP ME!" He screams maniacally as he clumsily sprints. "YOU! YOU HELP ME! PLEASE!"

The man trips over himself and falls on the ground. He doesn't stop, however, as he begins crawling closer to Blake. Blake rushes to his side and kneels down.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" She urgently asks.

"A man… a man killed us! ALL OF US! My friends are gone… they're gone…" He whimpers.

"Who? Other faunus like you?"

The man nods.

"All of us. There were… oh god… maybe nine of us in total," he painfully recollects.

"And you're the only one?"

The man nods, sniveling. Both Blake and the Faunus boy's ears pick up someone coming closer to them.

"Oh god that's him!" He shouts, running away.

Blake turns around to watch the Faunus run away but quickly turns back to see who is coming.

A young man slowly walks out of the forest. He sports an olive green jacket that loosely hangs open. There are four covered pockets, two on his chest and the others were normal pockets that jackets usually have. The collar is raised, covering some of his neck. There revealing a black shirt underneath it. At the end of his sleeves are his hands which are covered with black, fingerless gloves. He covers his legs with blue jeans and his feet with black running shoes. Blake notices a grey belt that has a weapon attached to it. A long black sheath with what seems like a golden phoenix running down it. The handle seems to be black with a white rayskin to cover it, and a golden guard to separate the blade from the handle.

The man crosses his arms as he slowly paces towards Blake. He doesn't have a serious expression at all. He's actually smiling right now as he watches the Faunus run away.

"You know, you're not much a team player when you abandon your friends like that!" He shouts.

"You! Who are you?" Blake yells. "Are you the one who killed the Faunus? Why? Just because they were faunus?"

The man shrugs, making his way closer to Blake but not intending to cross paths with her.

"Well… I suppose you could put it that way, yes. Oh, and I suppose you can call me Slater if you need a title."

Blake clenches her fists in anger. Slater finally reaches Blake's position. He does nothing with her – to her. He just continues on his way. Blake turns around and grabs his shoulder, stopping him. He looks down at her hand then looks over his shoulder.

"Are you going to stop me?" He calmly asks. "Are you one of them?"

"I am… and I won't let you hurt him."

Slater lets out a tired sigh.

"I don't think you underst-"

Blake throws a punch at the back of his head, but he tilts it the side, dodging the fist by a mere hair. He grabs the hand still resting on his shoulder, spins around, and thrusts his fist into her stomach. Her body wants to fly back but can't since he still has a hold of her hand. He pulls her back just to meet a swift kick to the chest. He lets go once his kick is executed, letting Blake fall back onto the grass. Blake shakes her head and quickly rolls onto her feet. She squints her eyes at her target, fury coursing through her at his ignorance and racism. She wasn't going to let him get away with the murder of Faunus.

"You know I think we started on the wrong foot. Maybe we can-"

She grabs hold of Gambol Shroud and swings it at him in its clever-like form. She spins around and slices diagonally, but he easily sways his body away from the attack. Blake continues her momentum and her attacks, each coming down upon him in a diagonal manner. He dodges all these attacks in the same way, until Blake changes up her tactics. She uses her semblance to send a clone right at him. Thinking it's her, he stumbles back, losing his balance. This gives Blake the chance to finally connect a good combo. She jumps in the air, spins and kicks his cheek. She quickly lands on the ground, gets her body low to the dirt, and sweep kicks him. His legs are lifted off the ground and sent to his right. With this small moment Blake pushes off the ground and shoves her heels into the side of his ribs.

Slater flies through the air and approaches a tree. Blake speeds towards him, ready to finish it off with one clean cut. However he manages to recover and bounces off the tree like a spring right back at Blake. Blake splits off from herself, leaving a shadow version of her to take the hit. The punch goes right through the shadow. Slater uses the momentum of his punch to turn himself around to face Blake, who is already ready to brawl again.

He skids across the ground to slow himself. Once he comes to a complete stop, he stands up straight.

"I have to admit, I've never seen a power like that before. This may actually be trouble."

Blake cringes. She pulls out a smaller black katana out of the clever, but still holds the clever in her left hand. Surprise takes over Slater's face. He points at her, smiling.

"That I didn't see coming either."

Blake bolts off her right foot to attack. Slater, in turn, runs towards her. The two meet in the middle within seconds. Blake goes for a double slash, but he completely avoids the attack by jumping over her. When he reaches the right height, he spins around and extends his leg delivering a solid roundhouse kick to the side of her head. Blake's body flies to the side, slamming into a tree near the edge of the field. She gets herself up right away and looks at the tree for a moment. The tree is large enough for her to be covered easily. The perimeter is at least four times Blake's body and far taller than her. She slices the base of the tree then runs behind it.

Slater stares at this predicament, unsure on how to respond to this.

"Does she have a problem with trees?" He comments.

Blake quickly comes back around the tree, going full sprint at him. He notices that the band on her arm is extending while she runs, rooting back to the tree. He gets ready for anything, since he's not sure what exactly she's planning to do. He raises his left hand a bit just in case he needs his weapon.

Blake makes it halfway towards the man before stopping. She slides a bit and lowers her body as close to the ground as she can. She pulls her hand as far forward as she can until she hears a snap. The tree shoots off of its base and swiftly closes in on her opponent. Slater's eyes widen as the trunk approaches him. He instantly raises his hands and braces for the tree. The bark slams into his hands, bending his elbows outwards. The force of the tree pushes him back a foot or two. He bends his torso down and spreads out his legs to spread out the weight. The tree comes to a full stop as it rests on his upper back. His face goes red; he clenches his teeth, and his arms are flexing to the fullest under the pressure of the oversized tree.

He lets out a breath once he's completely stable. He looks up at Blake and smirks.

"Nice… I'm actually impressed. So… do you want it back..?" He playfully asks with a hint of struggle in his voice.

Blake doesn't respond with her words. Instead she starts up for another attack. The man rolls his eyes at her action. He bends down as low as he can, then uses all his might to extend his legs and arms.

"Hiya!" He shouts as the tree leaves his hands.

Knowing Blake is on the way, he jumps up into the air and lands on the very same tree. Blake extends her leg and performs a sliding turn. Before her body comes to a stop she changes her blade into a variant of a kusarigama melded with a pistol. Blake pulls back her arm then throws the weapon, firing it at the last second to increase its velocity. The blade extends past the tree but not close enough to hook on.

Slater looks at the blade with a questioning look. It's not until he notices the string attached to it that he understands her plan. Blake manipulates the string so the blade pierces into the tree. She leans back so the string is stressed then let's go. The force sends her soaring into the air and to the tree.

"Clever… did the same thing she did with the tree but with herself. This girl's more than I originally thought. Hm…" He whispers.

He moves his hand beside him and flexes his hand a bit. His sheathed sword swiftly connects with his hand. He grips it tight but keeps low, making sure the air doesn't knock him off at this height. He can feel that the tree has a bit more time until it starts plummeting back to the ground.

Blake soars through the air until reaching the edge of the tree. Her opponent is closer to the green leaves, which makes him slightly cornered. Blake grabs hold of her weapon and extends it back into a sword. Blake bolts towards him, slashing the tree as she runs. It falls apart into smaller pieces after each step she takes. Large circular pieces of the tree trunk starts falling down to the ground. Slater observes his surroundings, noticing the placement of the various pieces of dotting the sky.

"Seems like platforms to me. I always see things as glass half full," he mumbles.

Before Blake can attack him he jumps off the tree towards one of the platforms. Blake slows down and looks down at him. She switches her sword back to the kusarigama-gun mode only to start shooting at him.

"Ah!" He shouts, dodging the bullet and jumping to another platform. "That's unfair!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Weiss passes by a few trees and bushes. She still has yet to find anyone and is getting slightly annoyed. She's about to complain to herself until she hears a gunshot. She quickly looks towards the source of the noise. Unfortunately the trees block her sight. Weiss jumps into the air, then uses a glyph to get even higher. She lands on top of the tree and stares into the sky. She can see Blake and another person fighting on bits of trees.

Weiss jumps off the tree and starts sprinting towards her teammate's location.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blake keeps the heat on Slater with her gun; she doesn't give him a second to rest every time he switches to a different platform. However, she does note that he's running out of places to run. He realizes this too. Slater jumps on one to the left of Blake. Before she can turn to him he launches off his dominant foot and rushes her. Her pulls his hand back only to extend it right into her cheek. Blake follows the motion of the punch and begins falling from the sky. She looks down at the ground to see how much distance she has – which is very little. Before she can attempt to save herself an unknown figure dashes at her, grabbing Blake and landing softly on the ground.

Blake looks at her savior – Weiss.

"I thought we agreed to radio our teammates if we ran into trouble?" Weiss reminds.

"I… got caught up," Blake admits.

"Hm… Well no doubt Yang and Ruby saw your little stunt in the air. They'll probably be here soon," Weiss says, putting Blake down. "But we should be enough to finish this."

Slater waits for the last second before jumping off his platform. A cloud of dust erupts as a result of the tree crashing into the planet. He spins in the air and lands gracefully in a kneeling position. He looks up at the two girls but pays a little more attention to Weiss.

"A human? Why would a human be with the Faunus?" He asks himself.

He pushes off his knee to stand up straight. Weiss and Blake pull out their weapons – the clever and sword for Blake, and Weiss' signature rapier, Myrtenaster. She holds it around waist level in front of her, pointing it towards her opponent. Slater moves his left hand to his side. In an instant his holstered weapon moves right into his hand. He grips the sheath a miniscule distance from the guard, the blade pointing towards his back.

"You know, we could all just forget this ever happened and just part ways? Huh? Huh?" He offers, making a slight joke of it.

Blake cringes at his remark which does not go unnoticed by Weiss.

"Who is this guy? What he do?" She whispers.

"He murdered an innocent group of Faunus in cold blood."

"Hm…"

"What? Do you not care?" Blake accuses, turning her head to her partner.

"As long as they weren't White Fang, I suppose. A murderer's a murderer. Let's take him down."

Blake lets out a smirk.

"Thanks Weiss."

Weiss moves her weapon around shoulder level then dashes towards Slater. Blake bolts towards him a moment after. Slater remains still everywhere but his arm. He lifts the sheath up to effectively block her attack. Weiss uses the momentum to her advantage, moving her hand over her head in a small circle shape to bring the sword down on the opposite side. Slater calmly moves his arm slightly above hers, blocking her second attack.

Not allowing her to pull off a third, he quickly punches her with his free hand. She stumbles back a bit, but that doesn't grant him a break. Blake swoops in from the side, bringing both blades down upon him. Right as he notices he turns towards Blake, moving his sheath horizontally to block both blades. The two struggle for a moment but Slater ends up pushing the swords back, leaving Blake open to an attack. However, Weiss comes in from the side with a lunging strike. Slater twitches his wrist and lets go of his sheath causing the weapon to spin around like a wheel. He then begins to turn his body around, falling to one knee as he does this. Once his head is facing Weiss he grabs his falling sword with his right hand - the blade still facing the opposite way it should. He moves his arm left and high enough to block the attack. Weiss' attack is nullified as the point hits the sheath.

Weiss and Slater stare at each other for a moment – she looking down at him and him looking up at her. Weiss attempt to make the first move but Slater is ahead of her. He turns his wrist, making the sheath push her weapon away from him. He quickly stands up, wraps his hand around her waist, spins around and throws her at Blake. Blake isn't ready for this so his attack works. Weiss tumbles on top of Blake, leaving them both on the ground.

Slater sighs.

"Are we good now, or-"

Slater's ears pick up a sound coming from the forest. He turns around and sees a yellow blur coming right at him. He jumps back, dodging a punch from Yang. Not a second later Ruby slides in beside her sister, Crescent Rose ready for combat.

"You two okay?" Ruby she hopefully asks.

Weiss nods as she picks herself off Blake.

"I'm fine."

"Me too."

The four girls get in a line, all of them staring at Slater. Slater scans all of them, slight concern on his face. He lets go of his sheath which attracts back to his hip. He rubs the back of his head and chuckles.

"Huh… it's like they're coming out of the woodwork. I can say that? I mean a forest has trees, which is wood. So I suppose the wood works. Ha… damn, I'm clever."

Slater slowly moves one leg behind him and his other more forward. He moves his hand towards his weapon, tightly gripping the handle of his blade. He slowly pulls the blade out, allowing the metal to take in the air around it. The black metal reflects some of the sun off of it as it reveals itself. Once the sword is out of its home he wraps his other hand around it, pointing it towards the girls at shoulder level.

"Be careful. He's good, but I think we can overwhelm him," Blake says.

"Wait, who is he? What happened to finding the new student?" Ruby brings up.

"We'll find him. He might have been attracted by the fighting. But right now we need to take him down!" Blake growls.

Ruby stares at Blake with concern. She isn't normally like this, but Ruby didn't see what happened at the beginning. She trusts Blake, so there must be a reason for this.

"Right. We do this as a team," Ruby agrees. "Fast and hard girls. Lets go!"

Yang smirks.

"Fast and hard is the only way I do things."

Yang activates Ember Celica, the guards extending around her fists, and charges in first. She begins firing shells at Slater forcing him to move out of the way. He slides backwards but keeps his eyes on Yang. She throws a punch as soon as she's in range. Slater moves one hand from his sword to push the punch away from him. Seeing an opportunity Yang thrusts her free hand under hers and Slater's, punching him in the gut. The impact forces him to slide across the ground. Yang pushes off her leg to attack again.

Slater, surprisingly, sheathes his katana before Yang can reach him. He puts his fists up and prepares for the brawler. She throws a hook which he dodges, countering with a quick jab to the face. Yang recoils slightly but gets right back into it with a few sidekicks. Slater blocks both kicks with his arms and ducks under Yang's following punch. He sends a torrent of his own punches to her stomach, uppercuts her jaw, then hits her chest with a haymaker.

Yang is forced away from him, but Ruby is quick to follow. Using her blinding speed, she attempts to finish it in one shot. Slater barely has any time to react. He cartwheels over the scythe, the tip of his nose touching the blade of Crescent Rose. He gracefully lands, grabs his weapon and swipes to his right, blocking an attack from Blake. Weiss comes in from the other side but Slater easily moves his sword to meet hers. They clash, the sound of metal filling the woods. Slater pushes Weiss to the side, spinning around and plummeting his heel into her back. He turns around and holds his blade right in front of him to block Ruby. Ruby spins the scythe around her body forcing Slater to block the oversized weapon.

He's too busy to noticed Blake come in from the side. She brings her sword up, slashing at his stomach. He recoils at the attack then jumps away from his opponents in an attempt to get a breather. While in the air Ruby turns to Weiss.

"Weiss! The ground!"

Weiss nods. She swirls her blade in front of her a little before stabbing the ground. A thin sheet of ice covers the ground around Slater.

"What the..?"

Slater lands on the ice, sliding across it with little to no balance. Yang swiftly comes in from behind and strikes his back, shooting her weapon as she hits him. Slater really feels this one. His back almost feels like it's on fire. It distracts him so much that he fails to see Weiss is also in the air with him. She creates a glyph to face him, then springs off of it. She passes right by Slater, slicing him once. She creates another glyph to bounce off of. In a mere second half a dozen glyphs form all around him. Weiss stylishly moves between all of them, hitting Slater each time causing his body to ragdoll in the air. He cringes at each hit, hating the fact that he's powerless to defend himself from this attack.

"Ruby!" She shouts, alerting her teammate.

Weiss' momentum stops close to Slater. She spins around to get some speed and kicks him towards the hooded girl. Ruby sprints towards Slater, shooting her gun to pick up her speed.

"Damn…" Slater huffs.

He grips his katana harder than necessary with frustration. He turns his body around, flips the blade to point to the ground, and tucks his body in. Ruby shoots her last shot then slices at Slater. His katana clashes Crescent Rose, a shriek erupting from the metal. Ruby fires her gun again while turning her body around. The movement throws Slater towards the forest. He crashes through one of the trees and collides with another, his body flopping onto the ground and his sword leaving his hands. The first tree slowly begins to free fall. Lucky for Slater, the tree falls towards the girls, and not on top of him.

Slater coughs up some saliva as he pushes himself onto his hands and knees. He shakes his head a bit to regain his composure.

"Huh… nobody yelled timber," he remarks with a disappointed tone.

His gaze moves up a bit to see his sword lying ahead of him. He leans over and grabs the hilt, then rises to his feet. His breathing is heavier than normal, though not to an extreme amount. He then feels a drop of sweat fall from his brow and onto the ground. He shakes his head and looks up at his opponents.

Ruby, Yang, and Blake reload their weapons and get set for another round.

"Shouldn't we be focusing on finding the student? This is going on for too long," Ruby inquires.

"No time to talk! He's coming!" Yang shouts.

Slater lowers his blade so the tip hits just touches the soil. Slater leans forward and puts one foot in front of the other. He moves his body back then storms off his back foot, sprinting towards the girls as the tip of the blade leaves a precise line through the earth. Ruby manages to keep up with speed of her opponent. She can tell he's heading for Weiss. Ruby spins Crescent Rose around her then pierces the ground in front of Weiss. With a tight grip on her weapon Ruby hoists herself in the air, spins herself around the handle like a gymnast, then shoves both feet forward to stop Slater dead in his tracks. Slater catches her action and acts to counter it. He weaves away from her feet with not a second to spare. He spins his body around and slices at her back, forcing her onto the ground. He keeps moving and goes for another hit on Blake, but she manages to barely block it.

Weiss realizes the situation and comes to help Blake. Slater turns around, blocking her attack, then spins back to deflect an attack from Blake. The two girls keep the pressure on, not allowing a moment's break. He pushes Weiss back then cartwheels through Blake's two weapons. He lands behind her, circles his body around and hits her with an upward diagonal slice. Weiss slides right under her and pummels Slater's chest with the tip of Myrtenaster. Slater tumbles over himself but recovers within seconds. Yang darts at him and delivers a flurry of attacks, forcing him back with every hit. She finishes with a clean hit to the stomach then a powerful uppercut that sends him into the air.

Slater whirls in the air for a second. He manages to stop himself in midair. He winds up his arm and throws his katana at Yang. She hops to the side, dodging it with ease.

"Was he even trying to hit me?" She whispers.

Yang pushes the thought to the back of her mind so she can continue her attacks. She jumps into the air and throws another her signature punch at him. Slater opens his palm to cushion Yang's punch. He then slides his hand down and firmly grasps Ember Celica. He brings her over his shoulder and tosses her to the ground. A loud and satisfying thud echoes when Yang hits the ground.

As soon as Slater hits the ground, Yang bursts out from the crash site and attacks him. Slater raises his fists due to his lack of weapon. He throws a punch which Yang pushes out of the way. She follows up with a left-right combo. He swerves past the left then weaves under the right. As he ducks under it he hooks her abdomen making Yang growl at the pain. She brings her knee into his stomach, doing some damage to his already hurting body. Slater clenches his teeth to distract himself from whatever discomfort he's feeling at the moment. He backs away from her then pushes off her knee to get some distance. As soon as he lands Slater rushes back in, throwing a straight punch. Yang readies herself and decides to throw one right back at him. Their two fists collide, almost creating a small shockwave. Yang fires her gun giving her the edge and pushing back Slater's hand. Yang winds up a left punch and Slater counters the exact way she did, by punching her punch. The two fists collide once more. Yang fires her gun once again, pushing back Slater's other hand.

Yang smiles, using all her might to push back Slater. He slides his right leg back and locks it in place so he doesn't get pushed back. He, remarkably, begins to gain some ground, pushing his fists towards Yang, and in turn, pushing her fists back. Yang manages to even it out once their fists meet in the middle. Their arms are shaking, their faces are red, and their legs are dug deep into the ground.

Weiss and Blake start to go in to aid their teammate but Ruby moves in front of them.

"Ruby? What are you doing?" Weiss exclaims.

"I'm saving you," she says, turning her attention to Yang. "I think Yang has this. If she starts losing then we'll move in."

Neither Weiss nor Blake have any idea why Ruby thinks Yang can do this on her own, but they see the passion in Yang's eyes right now. She's having the time of her life right now.

"You're not bad… I'll admit," Slater compliments between breaths. "But I… really can't let my reputation be ruined… Being beaten by a girl… would just be so embarrassing."

Yang snickers.

"Losing to a boy would be embarrassing for me."

Slater chuckles at her response, though not letting his body relax at all.

"Fair enough."

Yang starts to bring her left knee into his stomach. Slater notices this and diverts his hands to push the knee back down. He instantly ducks, just missing Yang's fists crushing his head. Slater thinks of something that might put the brawler down for good. He spins to his right, slams his left hand into the ground and grips it tight, lowers his upper body, then sends his foot crashing into the bottom of Yang's jaw. She tries to keep stable but the force is too much for her. Yang is shot into the air within a second. Slater springs into the air after her. He reaches her altitude, their faces meeting. He grabs the side of her face and flips her around so her feet are now at his head. He pulls her in, grabs her feet, and wraps his legs around her neck.

"Yang!" Both Weiss and Blake shout.

Slater and Yang start plummeting to the ground.

"It's over!" Slater shouts as he piledrives Yang into the ground, her head denting the earth around them.

Slater waits a moment then backflips away from the body. His feet hit the floor and keep him standing, despite his now heavy breathing. He wraps one hand around his waist where Yang kneed him. He shakes his head as he walks around Yang's body, approaching the other three girls.

"Your friend is down. I think we…"

Slater stops talking when he starts feeling something. An eerie feeling starts filling his body, effecting him to his core. Almost like butterflies when one is nervous. He notices Ruby take a step back which puzzles him.

"Why is she… she isn't looking at me… so…"

Slater slowly turns around to see a fiery aura erupt from Yang's body. Her hand push against the ground, releasing her head from the tomb Slater forced it in. She cartwheels onto her feet then intensely stares at Slater with blood red eyes. Her hair starts changing into a more golden form than it's yellow one.

"What the… what's happening?" He questions.

"Ruby?" Blake asks, extending her name. "What's happening?"

"It's her semblance. With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that against her enemy. This is the time! We take him down now!" Ruby declares.

Weiss and Blake nod. The three girls rush Slater, who isn't even paying attention to them right now.

He hears them at the very last second. He drops to the ground to avoid a killing blow from Ruby's scythe. Blake shoves one sword towards the ground. He spins his body around, just dodging the blade. Weiss comes from the other side but that only aids Slater. He bounces off his back and lands his feet on Weiss' shoulders. He uses them as a springboard – knocking Weiss over in the process – to launch himself over Blake and into a series of backflip. He continues this until he flips over his sword. He executes one more flip but kicks his katana into the air with his feet. He lands on his feet then raises his right arm – catching the katana.

He spins it around him then gets into a fighting stance.

"By the sounds of it, they want to end this now. I think they're about to get serious."

Yang attacks first. She throws a haymaker at him which he blocks with his blade. However the momentum and strength of the punch still sends him flying back towards the forest. He manages to regain his bearings in midair. He thrusts his sword into the ground to slow himself down, and soon come to a complete stop. He shakes his head then runs towards the group.

"I can't be on the defensive here. I'll definitely lose, not that my chances are looking fantastic right now."

Once again, Yang charges in first. The terrifying look in her red eyes almost makes Slater shiver. He slides under her, tripping the golden haired warrior. He gets back to his feet and goes for the remaining three. Ruby uses her semblance to move at amazing speeds. She moves right past him then uses her gun to redirect herself towards Slater's back. Slater doesn't even notice Ruby's attack, so he takes the full force of her scythe, flipping him onto his stomach.

He pushes himself onto his feet only to be hit by Ruby again, falling flat on his back this time. Slater notices a pattern already and comes up with a plan. He flips onto his feet, turns around, and extends his arm out. Ruby tries to rush in again but her speed makes it difficult to dodge him. Slater clotheslines Ruby. She nearly loses consciousness from the sudden stop at her tremendous speed. She drops her scythe and bounces across the ground, finally stopping when she collides with a tree.

Yang sees her little sister tumble across the ground like a ragdoll until hitting the tree. Ruby's eyes are squeezed shut; her face twitches from the pain she's experiencing. She clenches her fists as tight as she can, nearly drawing blood. She looks over at Slater who is fighting off Blake and Weiss. She can't help but run into that battle.

His katana bounces between the two girls fluidly, keeping each of them at bay. However, they have the upper hand. Slater holds back Blake's cleaver, struggling to keep it at bay. Blake moves her other blade to try and stab Slater. He sees this and manages to slip out to the side, away from both of Blake's weapons. Weiss is quick to follow, swinging her rapier with precision and skill. She keeps the pressure on, taking steps towards him and attacking while Slater moves back as he defends.

He collides with her sword then steps close to her. He grabs her weapon hand and stares into her eyes once more. Weiss can't seem to read him at all, neither his fighting style nor his intentions. He pushes Weiss blade completely to the side and attempts a horizontal slice. She elegantly flips over it then goes for a lunge. She connects, slightly pushing him back but not enough to move him out of range. She spins around and goes for a slice to his neck. He bobs to the side, grabs her face, and then throws her at the incoming Blake. Weiss creates a glyph for her to bounce off and spring right back at him. He barely dodges the lunge. Their bodies are so close he can smell her shampoo. Even a piece of Weiss' hair brushes on his chest.

Blake attempts to attack afterwards but is overshadowed by the bullet that is Yang. She zooms past her and connects her fist with his cheek. It feels like some sort of shockwave right beside his face. It starts moving on his own, sending him into a tailspin away from the girls. Yang jumps into the air and shadows over Slater.

"YAH!"

She thrusts her body down, plummeting her fist into his stomach, then planting him in the ground. A large cloud of dust erupts, but Weiss and Blake can still hear conflict from the cloud. Both Weiss and Blake watch the cloud. Their bodies move up and down slightly as a result of their fatigue. Weiss hears a quiet whimper and tracks the source. She sees Ruby, who is slowly starting to get up.

"Blake… Ruby!"

Blake turns her attention to her fallen leader. She nods at Weiss then runs to Ruby's aid. Weiss keeps her attention on the dust cloud. It's slowly dissipating, but not enough to reveal the two. Suddenly Yang flies out of the dust. Weiss readies her blade and starts walking towards him.

The dust finally clears. Slater is on one knee, using his sword as leverage to keep his body up. Pain is beating through his body, similar to that of his heartbeat. His breathing is extremely heavy, so much so that anyone could hear distorted phlegm that disrupts his breathing pattern. His entire body us heaving up and down at each breath.

"D-Damn… this isn't looking good. I think I've done more overall damage but… it's spread out between four people. They have enough juice left in the tank. Maybe… I still have one last thing I can try," he says, drifting his eyes to his blade. "But even that's a little overkill…"

Blake picks up Ruby and slowly brings her back to where Weiss is.

"Thanks Blake… but I think I'm alright."

"He's down," Weiss interjects. "If we're going to finish this it should be now."

Ruby takes a gander at the downed Slater. She nods her head and looks at her teammates.

"Alright, let's finish this."

Ruby activates her weapon and charges straight in. Weiss and Blake move around the two sides. Yang suddenly bursts out from the forest, soaring in the air. She hovers over him once more and forces her fist down upon him. Slater sees he's basically trapped. Going backwards would still allow Ruby to get him, and any other way is blocked off. He raises his blade, ready to make one last ditch effort.

Before he can do anything someone suddenly appears in front of him. He looks up at him, trailing past his dark green pants and a cane to his black suit jacket.

"Ozpin?" He whispers.

The entirety of team RWBY stumbles over themselves when they see Ozpin calmly standing in front of Slater. Blake and Weiss easily stop themselves, albeit sliding a bit. Ruby turns Crescent Rose around and fires in the other direction, slowing her velocity down. As soon as Yang sees Ozpin, her eyes and hair revert back to normal. She looks around to think of a way out but is cut off when a black band wraps around her arm. She follows it down to Blake, who pulls Yang away from Ozpin and Slater. Yang makes a less than subtle landing a top a few trees.

"You know girls, this isn't what I had in mind when I sent you on this assignment."

All the girls finally come to a halt, other than Yang who walks out of the forest as she brushes herself off.

"What are you doing Professor? We could have hurt you!" Blake questions.

Ozpin closes his eyes and chuckles.

"I was perfectly safe, don't worry."

Team RWBY regroups in front of Ozpin, who is, in turn, in front of Slater. The girls all have somewhat confused faces at the moment. None of them know what's happening right now.

"Professor, who is this guy?" Yang asks, still somewhat itching to fight him in his weakened state.

"This," he starts turning his head towards Slater. "Is the student you were supposed to meet with: (Y/N) Slater."

Every girl's jaw drops, their eyes go wide, and their faces go pale. They all drop dead on their faces.

 **Thanks for reading everyone! This is my first taste of being in the RWBY fandom, as I just got into it a few weeks ago. I really love it, so I think I'll do well with the whole universe of RWBY. I'll try to stay canon the best I can, but I also won't. I'm a believer that one person could change an entire story, so there will be points where something completely different from the show will happen in this story. Oh, and this takes place in between volume one and two, just so you know.**

 **So, this will actually be a reader x story, but the problem is I haven't decided who the romance will be. With no other options, I turn to you! Who do you want to romance? I would prefer to keep it with just Ruby, Weiss, Blake, or Yang, but if there is an overwhelming demand for someone else then I may consider it. So, leave a comment/review on who you want to romance. Remember that I am on three different sites, so just because there are more requests for, let's say Ruby, on the one you use doesn't mean there isn't more for Yang on a different one. So make sure to leave who you want! I'll decide by next chapter!**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Requests? Send me a message! See ya!**


	2. Chapter 2: Slater to Beacon

**Chapter 2: Slater to Beacon**

Team RWBY lies on the ground, shocked at the news they just heard. The man they were fighting so hard against, the one they almost killed, was the very same person they were sent out to protect and retrieve. Ruby's heart holds the most shame. Her head is spinning round like she's on some messed up carnival ride that she can't get off of.

"My first mission…" She whines.

You push yourself onto your feet, using your sword as leverage.

"You know Ozpin," you say, sheathing your weapon. "This has to be… ow… the most interesting greeting I've ever gotten," you finish with a chuckle.

Ozpin shakes his head.

"It's not the one I had in mind. Truthfully I had a pleasant dinner planned, but now it seems that will be replaced with a trip to the infirmary for you."

"Oh come on!" You shout. "Can you at least tell me what the dinner was?"

Ozpin turns a bit towards you.

"It was steak imported from Vacuo. I heard that's your favourite," he smiles.

You throw your hands in the air and immediately regret the decision. Your body is pulsing with pain. You kneel down and hold your stomach, the source of the majority of the agony. Ozpin shakes his head, suppressing a minor laugh. Three girls lift their backs off the ground, looking up at the Professor. Ruby, however, keeps staring up at the spinning sky. She can't bear to look into Ozpin's eyes. She completely failed her mission, even went against it.

"But… I don't understand," Blake admits, utterly confused. "If you're the new student… why did you murder those Faunus?"

You stretch your neck a bit while you speak.

"Well… I mean aren't the White Fang the baddies around here? That's what I heard, anyway."

Blake goes completely stiff, her ears minorly twitching.

"The only one left was the leader," you continue. "But you defended him, so he got away."

Blake begins to mirror Ruby's expression at this point. Ever since the day at the docks she's been researching the White Fang incessantly, and she just let a high ranking member slip right through her fingers to fight an innocent man. Who knows what he could have known? He could have been the key to finding and stopping Torchwick for all she knew.

"But… why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, to be fair… " You stretch your back a bit. "… I tried. Twice, actually."

Blake diverts her eyes from you and sighs. She can't believe she let her emotions get in the way this much. You are on the verge of death because she couldn't wait for a second to listen. She charged in without a second thought. Her whole body tightens up at this fact. She won't make the same mistake again. She'll find the White Fang. She'll find Roman.

Weiss, Yang, and Blake finally get onto their feet, though Blake still refuses to look at you. There is a hint of regret and sadness in both Weiss and Yang's eyes. It's most difficult to notice these traits in Weiss, oddly enough. However the atmosphere is just tainted right now. Other than constant, throbbing pain, you can feel the tension emanating from the girls.

You are about to speak, but Ozpin cuts you off.

"How about we get to the Bullhead, hm? I think we've spent enough time here," he pleasantly says.

Ozpin starts walking away from the area. Weiss, Yang, and Blake follow suite. Yang diverts course to lift her sister up.

"I'm sure (Y/N) can handle that, Ms. Xiao Long. Let's keep moving."

Yang pauses at his words, unsure whether to follow his orders or not. She looks back at you, then to Ruby, staring at her with concerned eyes. You take a step towards Ruby, which gains the attention of Yang. You lazily throw your arm towards her, telling her to go on. This action, however, makes your body fill to the brim with pain. You cringe for a moment but quickly recover for appearance sake. Yang shakes her head and follows the rest of her team. You watch the four walk away for a few seconds before turning your attention to the young, red hooded girl. You limp towards her, making sure to take it somewhat easy. You kneel down over her, then lightly place your hand on her shoulder.

"Hey… are you coming? I mean, I could leave you here but…"

"I'm sorry," she mumbles.

You raise your brow.

"Sorry? For what?"

Ruby looks up at you with her silver eyes, a few tears forming around them. You recoil slightly at the sight of tears. You aren't good with people who have some sort of emotional problem or another. You always try to distance yourself from the situation whenever possible. This is not one of those moments.

"Hey… don't… cry," you coldly say, not wanting to deal with the sobs. "Look, we'll have time to talk it over later, I'm sure. Besides, I don't think I can walk all the way back to the ship without a little help," you end with a smile.

Ruby wipes away a tear and gazes at your smile.

"Why… are you smiling?"

"Well why aren't you? No time to cry Little Red," you nod, tapping her shoulder. "Besides, Grimm are attracted to those emotions, remember? And I'm really not in the mood to deal with a Beo-" You stop yourself for a moment. "An Ursa," you correct.

Ruby raises her brow at this. What's the big difference between Ursai and Beowolves? They are different Grimm, obviously, but they aren't too difficult unless you encounter an old, powerful one. Maybe you're afraid of Beowolves? Who knows? Ruby certainly doesn't. Ruby gets herself onto her feet and takes position beside you.

"So, do you mind if I just lean on you a bit?"

Ruby nods. She wraps one arm around your waist, so you, in turn, wrap your arm around her shoulders for support. You refrain from putting too much weight on the small girl, despite knowing she's a lot stronger than she looks. You and Ruby slowly follow the footsteps of Ozpin and the rest of team RWBY. Ruby can't help but look up at you. You're staring off into the distance, almost day dreaming about something that she can't guess. It just seems so odd to her. You seem way too happy for someone who almost got killed. Do you know something she doesn't? Did you have a plan to get out of that situation? These were questions that swarmed Ruby's mind, but she kept quiet for now. Though there was one that came to her mind.

"Hey… why aren't you healing yourself?"

You snap out of your day dreams and look down at her. As you look down you, both enter the forest. From her view, your face is blended with shadow and light from the trees. It looks a little funny, making Ruby smile a bit.

"A smile, huh? Good to see you aren't all glum and gloomy."

"Aren't… those the same thing?" She brings up.

"Yes. Yes they are." You sternly say, faking being hurt by her comment." Anyway, what was your question again? Why aren't I healing myself?"

Ruby nods.

"Well, I used a lot of my aura during the fight. It's not like you girls were pulling punches like I was, so I had to use quite a bit to keep myself decent," you explain.

"You were pulling punches? It didn't look like it," she comments.

"It didn't look like it," you mock in a childish voice. "Just trust me. I was. Though I don't think I would have won, anyway."

"Why?"

Before you could respond, Weiss walks out from behind a tree.

"Come on! We're all ready to go!" She pesters.

"Right. Sorry Weiss," Ruby answers.

Weiss crosses her arms as she waits for you and Ruby to catch up to her. The three of you walk towards another clearing close by. There are two Bullheads – one waiting for you and the other flying away. Weiss walks towards the one that's still on the ground. Blake and Yang have taken their seats already, while Ozpin is standing in the middle. You and Ruby haul your butts there as fast as you can to the ship.

Ruby takes a seat besides Weiss, who is beside Ozpin. On the other side is Blake and Yang, staring down at the floor. You lie in the middle of the floor, quite comfortably in fact. Within seconds of the takeoff you doze off. Your sheathed katana rests beside you within arm's reach. Ozpin watches you sleep for a moment before shaking his head.

"James wasn't kidding," he whispers to himself, quiet enough that the girls couldn't hear him.

"I can't believe we almost killed the new guy," Yang moans.

"And it's my fault," Blake admits, shaming herself.

"Well, at least we know he's capable," Weiss remarks.

"It was an honest mistake. Don't blame yourselves," Ozpin advises. "Besides, did you not hear him say he liked the greeting?"

"He said it was interesting, not that he liked it," Weiss points out.

"Trust me, Ms. Schnee, it means he liked it."

Yang fidgets in her seat as she listens to the conversation.

"Hey, Professor," she pipes up, grabbing Ozpin's attention. "How did you know to come help him?"

Weiss, Blake, and Ruby's mind begin to ponder this inquiry as well. They all turn to Ozpin, waiting for his explanation.

"I had a feeling something like this may happen. I had the pilot watch out for any fighting, and report to Beacon if it did. When I heard 'two people fighting in the air and a giant tree' I knew it had to be all of you. I left Beacon immediately, and, well, you know the rest. I'm glad I showed up before anyone got seriously injured."

The girls all stare at him questioningly, darting their eyes between him and you. Ozpin very lightly shakes his head.

"He'll be fine. He's been through worse."

"You know him?" Ruby inquires, finally contributing to the conversation.

"In a sense, yes. He was significantly younger the last time I saw him, and I've also heard of how he has grown from others. Yet, as a young adult, this is the first time I have met him."

The entire team is somewhat confused by their Headmaster's words but accept that it's probably the most they'll get. It's up to them to draw their own conclusions from his words, and through the battle they just fought.

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Tingling. Soreness. Heat. These things and more start to fill your senses. You slowly open one eye only to be met by a blinding light. You yelp, covering your eyes.

"Gah… jeez…" You complain. "Who leaves a light in someone's eyes? I'm not dead yet!"

Still blinded, you wave your arm aimlessly in the air until you manage to push the light away. You carefully crack open one eye to make sure nothing else is ready to blind you. Since nothing makes you completely uncomfortable, it seems you're in the clear right now.

The first thing you see is a bland white ceiling with a few lights that, thankfully, don't blind you. You look to the left just to be met with another bland white wall with nothing noticeable on it. Out of the corner of your eye you notice a pillow. You lift your head up and look over your shoulder. A white pillow rests behind you, an imprint of your head still fresh on it.

"Am I…" You think about your situation for a moment. "He sent me to the medical bay…"

You stretch your arms out to see how much pain you still feel throughout your body. It was barely noticeable when you woke up, and it hasn't really increased now. You grab your left shoulder while you make circles with your arm.

"Seems I'm feeling better. Wonder how long I've been out?"

You lift the blankets off your body and hop off the bed. You look down at yourself and notice your usual outfit isn't on your body. You're wearing a medical gown, which explains why you're a bit colder than normal. You let out an exaggerated sigh at this turn of events.

"Who took my clothes? Where are my clothes?" You ask aloud, looking around the room for any signs of your attire.

The only thing other than the bed and the moveable light – that you now hate – is a small drawer on the other side of the bed. It's, to no surprise, white, with slim silver handles. You walk up to it, lean over, and open it up. You can't help but smile when you see your familiar clothes neatly folded in the drawer. You pull all your clothes out and lay them out on the bed. You slip out of your gown and into your pair of jeans, finishing it off with your belt. Socks and shoes came next, then your shirt and jacket. Last was your gloves, which you made sure were a tight and fitting as they could be. You pulled them all the way down, feeling the material push against the gaps between your fingers. You smile, knowing you're almost back in business.

The one thing that this room doesn't have is your blade. You take one last look around the room to see if you may have missed it. But no, you don't see your trusty sword anywhere. You roll your eyes at the hindrance but don't lose your cool by any means. All you need to do is make your way outside, and the blade will come to you.

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"He's in the medical dorm?" Glynda sharply responds.

Ozpin nods his head. He's staring out his window, overlooking Vale as he normally does.

"There was a misunderstanding between him and Blake. She assumed him to be an enemy, and team RWBY went along with it."

"That's childish," she scorns.

"What did you expect them to do?" Ozpin counters, turning around to face Glynda. "They saw their teammate in trouble, and they helped. Would you not be disappointed if they did not help?"

"I'm disappointed that they came to this conclusion so fast. But…" She sighs. "What's done is done. So, will you now tell me who he is?"

Ozpin closes his eyes and take a sip of his drink. He doesn't answer for a few seconds, building the tension and aggravating Glynda. He opens his eyes, staring directly into the teacher's.

"Go see for yourself."

Glynda bites her tongue so she doesn't make a disrespectful remark, which she desperately wants to make. Whoever this student is, he's here, at Beacon, and Ozpin still wants to play his little game. Glynda takes a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Very well. I'll see for myself."

With that, Glynda turns around and exits Ozpin's office, leaving the headmaster all by his lonesome. He cracks a smirk and shakes his head a bit.

"I wonder how she'll react when she sees your son." He says aloud, looking into the sky. "What do you think, Jet?"

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Nobody seems to question you as you walk through the halls of this new environment. You assume you haven't left the medical wing since the halls are still a bright, monotonous white that makes you question whether you're actually getting anywhere or not. The steel numbers on the doors have changed, true, but it still feels like you're walking around in circles. You want to talk with the few people you've passed, but you feel like they'd end up shoving you back into the room from whence you came. Thus, you continue to keep to yourself and find some way out.

You reach the end of yet another hallway. You take a look to the left: more hallway. You take a look to the right. Could it be? You smile at the sight of a door that leads outside. The sun's rays beam through the glass door and leave small rectangles of light on the ground. You start walking then upgrade it to a light jog. Once you make it to the door you slow yourself down a tad, but still keep some momentum to push the door wide open.

A gust of light wind hits you, cooling down your body in an almost greeting manner. It's like the outdoors themselves are recognizing your presence and are welcoming you with open arms. You raise your head a bit and close your eyes, bathing in the beautiful outdoor weather. It was a bit humid within the medical wing, so you appreciate the cool down.

You lower your head back down and open your eyes. You look around the area to see what's what. There are a few students grouped together around the area. Small, straight ponds separating the stone path into multiple sections. Some people are even looking up at a statue that is surrounded by its own moat. You fiddle with your hair a bit as you decide what you should do.

 _Well… I think the first thing to do is find Ozpin. That is, if I can EVEN find him. Hm…_

You look up at the tower which dominates Beacon's grounds.

 _And I'm guessing he's there. Well, first thing's first; I need my weapon._

You slowly raise your left arm, letting your hand droop down. You lower your head and close your eyes. A few people notice your odd stance, but they don't really think too much about it. If anything, they're just wondering who you are and why you're here. Once your arm is extended in the air you raise open your hand and flip your hand over so your palm is facing the sky.

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A student at Beacon passes by some lockers. His shaggy blonde hair covering his face as he stares at the ground. He has a black hoodie that only barely goes down his arm, while red-orange sleeves cover the rest, leaving a small gap between the sweater and sleeves. On top of that hoodie are white plates that cover his chest and back, along with white shoulder pads. His loose blue jeans rest nicely on his black shoes. While normally clean, his clothes are covered in twigs, leaves, and mud.

"It's okay Jaune, nobody would have seen those roots… except maybe Pyrrha who tried to warn me… and Ren… and probably Nora…" He sighs at his attempt to make him feel better. "Well, it's not like anything else could happen to me today."

Suddenly, a locker a few feet ahead of Jaune starts shaking. This catches Jaune's attention, making him actually look at what's in front of him. He sees the locker swaying between the other two beside it. He can even hear a banging noise inside it.

"Hm? What's with that? Is someone else stuck in the locker?" He ask himself.

Jaune jogs up to the locker and stops in front of it.

"Um… hello?" He sheepishly starts, leaning closer to the door.

Nobody responds, but the banging continues.

"Hm… well I don't know the code to this one… but maybe I can get a teacher or-"

Before Jaune can finish his sentence the door to the locker flies open and knocks him right onto his back. He yelps whilst he falls, slightly sobbing at his misfortune.

"Ohhh, why?" He whines.

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You flick your wrist again, wondering why your sword isn't coming to you.

"Huh… that's odd." You bring your hand down and look at the palm area of the glove. You poke it once, seeing if that'll do anything. "I thought Dior said this would last forever? Sheesh, how unreliable. Well… let's try one more time."

You mimic the stance you took previously and try again.

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Jaune rubs his head as he lifts himself off the ground, moaning all the way.

"What was in there?"

Jaune lifts his head to look in the locker. Instead, something rushes out of the locker and clocks his forehead dead center. The object zooms past him and out of sight. Jaune remains on the ground, whining and almost crying.

"Oh… come… on…"

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You patiently remain idle for a few more moments. You suddenly hear a door burst open, and seconds later a firm object lands on your hand. You slowly wrap your fingers around the smooth black sheath, feeling a cool aura emanating from the material. You almost feel complete now that you have your weapon in your hands again. You move your katana in front of your eyes, taking in the details. The golden phoenix design glows beautifully as a result of the sun.

You give yourself a nod then return your arm to your left side, letting go of the sheath. Your sheath starts to fall to the ground, but somehow attracts itself to your belt, fitting perfectly in place. You rest your wrist on the pommel and let out a sigh. You really aren't sure where to go now. You think Ozpin is in the tallest tower, not that you know how to access that area. The first thing that comes to your mind is to look around a bit.

You roll your shoulders before heading out, your wrist still positioned on the pommel. You keep to yourself, not letting your eyes meet with anyone else. You can even sense the looks that people are giving you. You can only assume they're questioning who you are and why you're here. You don't look that much older than everyone else. You're seventeen like most of these people are. The only person you can think of that looks a different age – other than any instructors – is that one girl with the red hood. You can't really remember her name. The only name that comes to your mind is Weiss, which, to your knowledge, is the girl with the rapier. She was mostly in white, from what you remember. You'd definitely know her if you saw her – especially her eyes.

You approach the entrance to the main building's doors. You can make out the silhouette of another person, a woman. She opens the door shortly before you make it. Her dignified walk and precise posture makes you think she has to be a teacher, or a senior student. While looking at her, you see her eyes return your gaze. Your eyes hold hers for what feels like forever. You know nothing about her, and it just seems really odd. Her eyes just seem to draw your attention for a reason you can't wrap your head around.

Glynda can't help but stare at you. Your eyes, your nose, everything about your face is just familiar to her, but she can't figure it out. It's on the tip of her tongue, wanting to be recognized but she just can't grasp it. She squints her eyes a bit at you, making you, admittedly, a little nervous. You pick up the pace to get in the building and get away from her scowl. Glynda halts herself, still thinking of where she's seen you before. Being as smart as she is, your face is still pretty clear in her head. In her mind, your visage starts to shift, mold. It's like she's seen a version of your face before. All your features finally change to result in a face Glynda hasn't seen for over a decade.

She immediately turns herself around and marches back into the building, determined to find the student.

"I can't believe it," she whispers. "I can't believe a Slater is here."

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Team RWBY, and the majority of team JNPR, sits around their usual table in the cafeteria. Team RWBY isn't as cheery as it usually is, both spiritually and physically. Yang and Ruby, the two who are usually upbeat, remain silent and introverted. Weiss and Blake simply say little, chipping into the conversation every now and then. Blake is the one whose mind is still wrapped up in sorrow. Yang and Ruby are telling the story of what happened. Three of the four members of team JNPR attentively listen to their story, especially Nora. Pyrrha and Ren listen attentively to the story of their wayward mission.

Nora has short, orange hair with turquoise eyes that naturally have a chipper tone to them. She has a black collared vest that ends around her waist with a symbol of a hammer with a lightning bolt fitted on the back. Under that vest are two layers of red and light blue clothing. She also wears a sleeveless, white top that has a tiny heart shape cut between her collarbone and cleavage. She also has a white detached sleeve on each arm. She has pink fingerless gloves on both hands. For her lower body she dons a pink skirt, along with pink and white shoes. Lastly, she has a miniscule amount of armour.

Ren, the other member of team JNPR, has long black hair tied up into a pony tail that reaches midway down his back. His hair also has a magenta streak on the left side of his hair, which matches his eyes. He sports a dark green, long-sleeved tailcoat that's red on the inside, with black and gold trimmings. He finishes with white pants and black shoes.

"So, you fought the person you were supposed to recover?" Ren repeats, utterly surprised though nobody could tell since his tone is generally a calm one.

Ruby hesitantly nodded.

"He was sent straight to recovery when we got back. That was a few hours ago," the scythe wielder explains.

"I'm impressed that he was able to do battle with all four of you," Pyrrha comments. "I think watching him fight would be interesting."

"He was skilled," Weiss chimes in.

Ruby thinks back to when it was just you and her. Something you said still rolls around in her mind. " _It's not like you girls were pulling punches like I was_ ". From what little Ruby knows of you, you didn't seem like one to overestimate your abilities. You even admitted you would have lost instead of preaching your inevitable victory.

Ruby returns to her attention to the conversation, not too sure what she missed.

"Well, Ozpin didn't yell at us, so we're not in trouble," Weiss says.

"How could he not be mad, though?" Blake questions.

"Well," Ruby cuts in, slipping out of the table to her feet. "Why don't we go see him? It's not like he's on lockdown?"

Weiss, Blake, and Yang exchange looks, all agreeing that this seems like the right thing to do. Everyone, including team JNPR, look up at the young girl and nod.

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You walk through the halls of Beacon, somewhat aggravated and utterly lost. You usually have a good sense of direction, but for some reason you can't gain your bearings in these halls. There doesn't seem to be many – if any – students in the halls, and you have yet to bump into any professors either. It's probably because it's a Sunday, so everyone likely has the day off.

 _Alright… they all probably aren't here... which wouldn't be a problem if I could FIND OZPIN!_

You huff, getting a little frustrated at your predicament. This is probably one of the most frustrating, yet entertaining, introductions to a school you've ever experienced. It's better than when you went to Atlas' academy, and were bored to death by the headmaster. You were also seven, so the technicalities didn't interest you in the slightest. But Atlas did well for you, even in the short time you were there. You didn't like leaving your friends, but you were told you'd come back. You did… eight years later. There was a lot of moving in your life, but you begrudgingly got accustomed to it and its side effects.

You turn the corner and slam into somebody. You keep your balance easily, but the other falls on their back.

"Ow…" They whine.

You shake your head and look down at the other. You see another student with blonde hair and a mix of casual clothing and armour. He also seems to have two red marks on his face. You brush it off, assume it was simply from the collision. You cross your arms and lean over.

"You okay, buddy?" You politely ask.

The man rubs his head as he looks up at you.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't see you."

"Well, I didn't see you either, so I guess I'm to blame too."

You extend your hand to help him up, keeping a smile on your face to appear friendly. He looks at your hand for a moment then grabs it. You pull him onto his feet then let go of his hand.

"Thanks. My name's Jaune Arc."

"Ooh, nice. Rolls off the tongue."

"You think so?" He asks, an excited smile on his face.

You nod.

"Yeah, definitely. Better than my name."

Jaune brushes himself off but still speaks.

"And your name is?"

You extend your hand towards him, motioning for a handshake. He doesn't see it until he finishes his cleaning. After noticing it he immediately grabs your hand and shakes it.

"(Y/N) Slater," you greet, shaking his hand with moderate strength, though to Jaune it feels like you're trying to crush his hand. "Just transferred here from… well, I guess I just transferred here."

Jaune brings his hand back, shaking it a little bit to try and rid himself of the unintentional pain you caused him.

"What does that mean? Wouldn't you have come from somewhere?"

You bob your head a bit, thinking.

"Well, I was just at Shade Academy in Vacuo, so I guess I came from there."

Jaune nods, though he doesn't completely understand what you're trying to get at.

"Oh… so do you like Beacon so far?"

You shrug.

"It's alright, I suppose. I don't really know where I'm going, though. Do you know your way around, by chance?"

Before Jaune can respond a voice pierces through your conversation.

"Mr. Arc!"

Both you and Jaune look to the source of the voice. A woman who looks like a teacher sternly stares you both down. You don't even think she's even looking or caring about Jaune. It feels like her eyes are completely focusing on you for some reason. Her austere stare sends shivers through spine. Her stern walk seems to erupt earthquakes with each step. You don't know why, but she rattles you to the core.

On the other hand, Glynda has no intention of acting intimidating to you. In fact, she's completely focused on your appearance. Unlike earlier, she has a clear view of what you look like. It's exactly how she imagined, no, even clearer. Everything she imagined gets clarified in her mind. There's no doubt in her mind regarding the resemblance to her old friend. She can't help but let out a smile, which she quickly masks with her usual steely look.

You and Jaune stay silent and extremely still, not wanting to move in case she scolds you for that too, though you have no idea what she's scolding you for to begin with. Your stance is that of a statue, while Jaune has more of a meek, feeble stance. You can already tell that Jaune is scared of whoever this woman is. Seems you're about to find out why he's so scared. You already have somewhat of a reason due to her look. But then again, you saw a small smile appear on her face for a few seconds before falling back into the unmoving face that seems to be her default.

"Mr. Arc, could you please leave. Mr. Slater and I have some things to discuss." She commands.

You raise your brow.

"We do?" You innocently ask.

She squints her eyes at you in a menacing manner.

"Yes. Yes we do."

You quickly recoil from any conflict that may come up. She doesn't appear to be someone you want to start arguing with. Jaune nods and starts to walk away.

"Yes Ms. Goodwitch. It was nice meeting you (Y/N)," he waves.

You reply with a quick, two finger wave as the blonde boy leaves. You quickly remember that with his passing, you're alone with Goodwitch. You slowly turn to face her, her eyes staring into your soul.

 _It's like she knows me or something… Hm… I've never let a teacher get the best of me before, and I'll be damned if I do now._

You adopt a smirk, which throws Glynda off.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Goodwitch. That is your name, no?" You ask, delicately grabbing her hand. "It's a pleasure to make your… acquaintance," you say, using your smooth talking tone, then plant a quick kiss on her hand.

Glynda stares at you for a moment. Normally she would smack the student away and give them a lecture on how inappropriate they're being, how she's a teacher, and how she's completely uninterested in anything they have to offer. But something seems odd about this. It's like… it's like she's seen this before…

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 _Glynda looks around her new school. This is it. She's here to learn and become a huntress. No need for distractions. She keeps to herself, she ignores anyone trying to talk to her._

 _She walks through the halls, getting to her first class. Suddenly, someone runs around the corner, laughing and not paying much attention. Luckily he notices Glynda in front of him. He shoves his foot forward, slowing himself right now. He lowers himself to one knee and stops right in front of her. Glynda glares down at him, admittedly a little curious as to what he's about to do._

 _He has brown hair that's slicked back, along with blue eyes. He has a powerful look to his face, almost emanating leadership and experience. He has a long, white trench coat that's done up at the top with a red button, while the rest covers the majority of his body, excluding the one knee. There's a golden design of a phoenix that occupies the back of his coat. There is a red belt attached to the back of the coat that's meant to be wrapped around the wearer's torso, but he allows the two parts to loosely hang behind him. Underneath the jacket is a sleeveless red t-shirt. There also appears to be a black belt with golden coloured pouches. The most noticeable feature is a gold bracer that covers his entire right arm. There is actually no material under this bracer, as the whole sleeve appears to have been ripped off beforehand. He finishes it with white cargo pants and blood red boots._

" _My apologies, Madame. I saw you earlier today. Ms. Goodwitch, no?" He delicately grabs her hand. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Name's Slater. Jet Slater," he introduces, lightly placing a kiss on her hand._

 _Glynda blushes. Her mouth hangs open, not knowing what to say. She's never been greeted like this, and has only seen this scenario in books she used to read. She looks back and forth, not knowing what to say._

" _I'm… Glynda…"_

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 _Just like his father. It must be hereditary._

Glynda snaps her hang back and slaps your cheek with her riding crop, causing you recoil a bit and hold your cheek.

"Ow! Hey!"

"It's not proper for a student to address his teacher in such a manner," she coldly scolds. "Now stand up straight; perfect posture."

You immediately spring to your feet, standing as straight as you can with your hands at your sides. Your eyes stare up, past Ms. Goodwitch, at completely attention.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Glynda internally smiles.

"Now, Mr… Slater," she whispers your last name, which confuses you, but you don't act on it in fear of her wrath. "May I ask what you are doing here?"

"Looking for Professor Ozpin's office, ma'am," you declare.

Glynda shakes her head, slightly amused at your attempt to be obedient.

"Well then, I'll take you to him now. Come. Follow me," she says, turning around and walking away.

You instantly follow her, keeping a decent distance away so as not to get too close.

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Both team RWBY and JNPR enter the medical wing. Almost instantly they're greeted by a nurse. She has warm brown eyes and matching brown hair that's tied into a bun. She's somewhat short, only being taller than the smaller members of the two teams. Her petit nose keeps up a pair of glasses. She's in a tight, white outfit that most nurses usually wear.

"Hello," she happily greets. "What can I do for you students?"

"We're here to see someone," Ruby answers.

"Alright. Who are you here for?"

Ruby raises her hand to answer, but no words come out. Her hands slowly lower and her face drops, still thinking of what your name was. Blake, Yang, and Weiss all stare at Ruby during the awkward silence.

"(Y/N) Slater," Blake says.

"Yeah! That!" Ruby shouts, then slowly curls into herself, mumbling some incoherent nonsense about knowing the name.

"Ah, the new student. Right this way," she responds.

"Thank you…" Yang leans in to the nurse. "Ms. Daniels."

Daniels smiles.

"No problem. Please, come."

Daniels begins walking down a hallway, leading the way for the two teams. Within a minute the group reaches your room. Daniels slowly opens the door and peeks inside. Suddenly she screams, freaking out both team RWBY and JNPR.

"Ahh! He's gone! Where did he go? How did no one notice him gone? Ahh!"

"What's wrong? What happened?" Pyrrha questions, moving closer to the room.

"(Y/N) is gone! I need to call the Headmaster! Please, all of you, look for him!"

The seven students nod. They all pair up then run in different directions. Blake goes with Ren, Yang goes with Nora, Weiss goes with Pyyrha, and Ruby goes on her own.

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Ozpin calmly sits at his chair, listening to the nurse apologize consistently.

"I'm so sorry Professor Ozpin! I didn't know that he would wake up so soon and-"

Ozpin's door starts to open. His eyes drift up to acknowledge who's entering his office. First he sees Glynda, which is unsurprising to him. Second is you, which is also unsurprising to him. The moment he heard that you were gone he assumed you'd be showing up sooner or later. And here you are, in his office just as he predicted.

"It's alright, Ms. Daniels. I'll be sure to find him. Goodbye," he finishes, ending the conversation.

He turns his attention to the two in front of him. Your serious face quickly loosens up. You casually wave at him and smile.

"Hey Ozpin! Nice chair you have th-"

Glynda, with no emotion, smacks your stomach with her riding crop. You puff your cheeks and hold your side. You look up at her only to meet her cold, death stare. You instantly stand up straight, mirroring the stance you took not too long ago.

"It's good to meet you sir, Headmaster Ozpin, sir!" You shout, giving a proper salute.

Ozpin smirks, which soon evolves into a chuckle.

"That's enough, Glynda. You can wait outside, but I would like to talk to you after Mr. Slater leaves."

Glynda moves her eyes to Ozpin. They both stare at each other, having a mental conversation that you were totally omitted from. Your eyes dart back and forth between the two professors, trying your best to infiltrate the invisible conversation. It's not going well by any means. You're completely lost, shoved to the side and left in the dark.

Glynda sighs, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Ozpin cracks a smirk.

"Fine. I'll be outside."

Glynda turns around, giving you one last threatening look before strolling out of the office. You remain tall and proper as she walks away. Even though you know she isn't looking at you, the aftermath of her gaze still lingers. The moment you hear the door close you let out a huge sigh, relaxing your shoulders and letting your head droop.

Ozpin chuckles.

"You don't have to be so professional around Glynda, you know."

"Speak for yourself! She hit me with her… stupid stick thing! It really hurts!" You complain, lightly rubbing your side. "I don't even know what I did! I was as polite as can be!"

"She has good intentions, but I think she just sees your father in you."

Your somewhat cheery nature completely dissipates to make way for a serious and sad tone. You cross your arms and look away.

"Well… that's not new."

The room goes eerily quiet. Ozpin watches your posture, facial features, and body language. He takes a sip of his coffee before changing the subject.

"So, how're you feeling? Still hurting?"

You look up at him, your face a little lighter than before.

"Oh, I'm feeling better," you say, stretching. "I gotta say, you have some impressive students. They're only first years though, right? Their fighting style is solid, but could use some work."

"You think yourself better than them?" Ozpin inquires.

You shake your head.

"No, not at all. In fact I could learn from a few of them. The blonde… um… I think you called her Xiao Long?"

"Yang Xiao Long, yes," Ozpin confirms.

"Yeah, her. She's a really tough fighter. Her hand-to-hand beats mine, no question. Plus the rapier girl, Weiss, I believe, had quite the elegant style. The black haired girl was good too. But that young one, the one with the scythe, she's extremely skilled considering she can use that weapon. I could learn a lot from all four of them, especially Little Red. My scythe skills are nothing compared to hers."

"You can use scythes?"

"Mhm. Qrow showed me some moves a few years ago, but since I prefer my trusty blade here," you explain, looking down at your sheathe. "So I don't think he focused training on scythe use."

Ozpin takes another drink.

"Ah, Qrow. How long ago did you train with him?"

You cross your arms, lean on your hip, and look up a bit.

"Hm… Maybe… three years ago? I can't remember."

Ozpin nods his head, accepting your response.

"Well, enough about the past. We have things to discuss anyhow," Ozpin says, fiddling with something on his scroll. "Dorm placement, classes; the things you've missed. Come."

You keep your arms crossed as you saunter towards Ozpin's desk.

"Give me your scroll," he orders.

Once you reach Ozpin's desk you pull out your scroll from your back pocket and toss it across the table. Ozpin finishes with his device then turns his attention to yours. He punches in a few commands until he's satisfied. He slides the scroll across the desk, which your catch.

"Your room is programed into your scroll now. I'll have Glynda drop by to make sure you're settling in well, along with giving you your schedule."

Your eyes widen and your visage pales.

"Can like… anyone else come check on me?" You request, your voice a higher pitch in fear.

"You'll be fine; I'll tell her to go easy on you."

You sheepishly chuckle. You don't think she's going to be any nicer to you.

"Any questions?" He asks.

"Yeah, actually. How do I get there?"

Ozpin smirks.

"I'll have someone escort you there. Is there anything else?"

You shake your head.

"Very well. I'm sure we'll speak to each other soon. In the meantime, why not walk around Beacon, and even Vale. Familiarize yourself with your environment."

You toss your hands in your jean pockets and spin around.

"What's the point in that? I doubt I'll be here for more than a semester," you say as if it's fact. "But I suppose it's better than sitting in my room all day."

Ozpin picks out those words. "I doubt I'll be here for more than a semester". That statement is interesting to him, and something he certainly wants to revisit. However, now is the time for you to explore, not answer questions.

You push open the door and give a backwards wave.

"See you later, Oz-"

Your eyes drift to a figure standing beside the door. Those eyes are unmistakable to you. You quickly stand at attention as you spin around.

"Thank you for your time, sir, Headmaster Ozpin, sir! It will be my honour to speak with you again!"

You give a slight bow before slipping into the elevator. Glynda harshly stares at you until the elevator door closes. Once you're out of sight she walks into Ozpin's office, right away met with a grin.

"You don't have to be so intimidating to the boy. He's not Jet."

Glynda rolls her eyes and huffs.

"I realize that, but… he's just so much like him. Even the way he greeted me was nearly identical to what Jet did."

"Is that truly a bad thing? Jet was one of the strongest around, and a kind soul."

"Don't forget 'troublemaker'," she hisses.

Ozpin snickers.

"Yes, he was an adventurous one. But how about you judge (Y/N) on who he is, not what is father used to be?"

Glynda diverts her eyes from Ozpin, thinking. There's nothing but truth in what Ozpin said; you are your own person. Even if you were to grow up like Jet, he became much more serious in age. It's not even that Glynda hated Jet. It's the complete opposite. Jet was one of Glynda's closest friends. You just bring out those memories that she hasn't delved into for over a decade.

"I suppose that's fair, though he's well on his way to be. He has Jet's sword, after all."

"A memento, yes. Nothing wrong with that, of course," Ozpin replies, taking a sip from his mug. "Anyhow, there are other matters to attend to. If you could, please escort him to his dormitory, and then, later in the day, leave a class list in his dorm."

Glynda nods.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Glynda turns around and regally makes her exit.

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The elevator door opens and you fall right out of it, flat on your face. Your breaths are heavy, and your heart is pounding. You thought for sure that'd Ms. Goodwitch was going to beat you senseless with that damned stick thing she has. You didn't even give her a reason to hate you, so why are you getting picked on? It's your first day!

You sigh, your breath bouncing off the floor and back into your face, warming you up a bit. You push yourself off the floor and onto your feet. You relax your body a bit and make your way to the exit. You pull out your scroll and check the information Ozpin gave you, more specifically, your room number.

 _Wait… he said someone would escort me there, no? Then who would be doing that?_

Your ears pick up something behind you: the elevator door. You turn around to see your favourite person at Beacon.

"Ah, good. You haven't gone anywhere. Follow me, please, and I'll bring you to your room," Glynda informs.

 _She's just bringing me there to kill me!_

You gulp, scared at the possibilities. Glynda approaches you then snaps her fingers in front of your face.

"You can day dream when we get to your room. Now, please, I have other things to do today."

You slowly nod, watching for any sudden movements. Glynda leads you out of the building and to the dormitory wing. After a few minutes and some directions that made no sense to you, the two of you reach your dorm. It's at the very end of a hallway, and, unlike almost every other dorm, is not on the sides. Yours faces the end of the hallway. You sigh not liking this at all. You think it makes you look special or something, which is the exact opposite vibe you'd rather give.

You flash your scroll, giving you access to the room. To your surprise, and delight, your belongings are here. It's not much: a few books, posters of the environment, and some extra clothes that you probably won't wear. You like your outfit.

"Whoa… it's pretty big. This isn't a one person dorm, is it?" You realize who you're talking to and add a little extra. "Oh, uh, ma'am!"

Glynda shakes her head.

"No, it's a four person dorm. If there happens to be any other new students, they'll be placed with you. For now, however, it's all yours. Please refrain from taking advantage of this to bring other students here after hours. Especially ladies," she finishes with a threatening tone.

"What? Me? No! Ma'am! I won't!"

"I hope not. Well, let's finish one more thing right now: classes. I need to speak with Professor Ozpin before making your schedule. I will return here at nine o'clock with your classes. I expect you to be here."

You quickly nod your head, fearing what would happen if you weren't here.

"Good. Now please refrain from causing any trouble here or in Vale. And… no more kissing hands," she says in a lighter tone, almost like she's joking, but you can't be sure.

You sheepishly chuckle and rub the back of your head. Glynda rolls her eyes and begins to walk away.

"Welcome to Beacon, Mr. Slater."

With that, you close the door.

"Yeah… welcome to Beacon," you repeat.

You turn around and lean up against the wall. You almost hate yourself right now. You were so calm and collected when you first met Ms. Goodwitch, and now look at you. You're a scaredy cat, worried she'll smack you. You haven't let a single teacher push you around like this before, and that won't stop now. You take in a deep breath then exhale. No matter what happens, you're confident, cool, and aren't someone to be pushed around. But there's a difference between not being pushed around, and respecting your superiors. She is your superior, in status and likely in combat, so she deserves your respect. What you're doing now is not respect. It's fear.

You push yourself off the wall and begin to pace around your room, thinking of what to do next. After a moment of thought you decide to take Ozpin's advice. Wandering the halls and becoming familiar with the academy is a good idea.

"It's going to be my home for a few months. Might as well become acquainted," you say to yourself.

You leave your room and make sure it's locked. Knowing your room is secure, you make your way out of the dormitories. Thankfully, there is a door leading out at the end of the hallway. Your only hindrance being that the hallway is pretty long, but you'd take a minute or so walk straight rather than one filled with twists and turns. During your walk you hear people from the other dorms around you. Most of them are just talking. About what? You have no idea. You don't have super hearing as a semblance, though that would probably be really lame. You've seen much more interesting semblances than that.

It doesn't take too long for you to reach the doors and ultimately leave the building. You push open the doors and take a good wiff of the outside air. It's fortuitous that the dormitories aren't as humid as the medical wing, but nothing can beat fresh air from the great outdoors. It's even a beautiful day too. The sun is shining bright, the birds are chirping, and the sounds of water fill your senses. It's pleasant, to say the least.

You throw your hands in your pocket and casually walk the grounds of Beacon, whistling a merry tune as you do so. It's like you have no cares in the world right now, and you really don't. What is there to be worried about this second?

"Hey!" A woman's voice calls out. "It's you."

You stop. It's a familiar voice. You've heard it before. You turn around to see who's calling you.

 **Alright, this is gonna be a long authors note. I'll start with the main point I want to get across, then ramble afterwards. So if you just wanna get out of here, only read this next bit.**

 **I want to thank all of you for enjoying my story. I had no idea that it would be so well received, especially since I'm exploring new territory, and reader x RWBY stories don't seem all to popular. But I hope I still make an excellent story for you all to enjoy! Also, I have decided to choose the pairing next chapter.**

 **So, across all websites the tally is (including private messages)**

 **Ruby: 15**

 **Weiss: 16**

 **Blake: 15**

 **Yang: 11**

 **Honestly, there is actually a ton of votes for Yang but I think it's the same person voting for her. I don't know who you are, but I commend your dedication. Unfortunately I'm only counting two of your votes. Sorry. Also, I just want to say that the tally wasn't mean to be the**

" **be all end all". I just wanted to see what you guys wanted and base my decision off that.**

 **It's extremely difficult to choose, honestly. I see pros and cons in all characters. I'll let you in on what I'm thinking so, when I do decide, you will hopefully understand why I may not have chosen your person. You see, Blake and Weiss are the more interesting characters in team RWBY, no doubt. I can do a lot with those two. However… I've written romance like them before. If you don't know, I've written Frozen stories which have a romance with Elsa. Elsa, Blake, and Weiss are somewhat similar. It wouldn't be a challenge or something new for me to write about. However, like I said, I have a ton of ideas for both Weiss and Blake that I want to do. I'm not brushing them off, but that's just the cons for them.**

 **Yang… well she was actually one of my top choices when I first started thinking about it. She seemed like a fun character to write about and very different from what I've done before. However it seems that a lot of people don't want a Yang story. I know that it's all just opinions, but this really weighs on me. So, Yang is probably the lowest on my list now, even if I like her.**

 **Last is Ruby. She's almost the best of both worlds. She's new, not many people dislike her, and she's pretty cool. However, I know she is young. It doesn't seem too much of a problem to me since it's really only a two year gap, but I did read a review that mentioned that she's a little too young and immature for a legitimate relationship. I agree and disagree with this. So, she's up in the air too.**

 **So I hope you all kind of get where I'm coming from. I'm really thinking hard about this, trust me. I just stare at a wall and wonder who would be the best, and what you guys would want. It's a tough job, really. But remember, I can only pick one character. It's very possible you might not get your pick, so be prepared for that. I hope you all don't abandon the story because you didn't get your pairing. I really do have a lot planned (I have nearly fifty pages of original ideas, characters, and content). Also the voting is over. It's all up to me now. If you REALLY want to make a case for your character, then go ahead. It may sway my decision. But now it's just thinking and planning for me.**

 **Oh, and there was one person who asked what your semblance is. That will be revealed in time, don't worry. I have that all planned out too.**

 **Anyway, that's all for me. I probably won't have a long authors note like this for a while. Thank you all for reading!**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Requests? Send me a message! See ya!**


	3. Chapter 3: Reintroduction

**Chapter 3: Reintroduction**

 _What are the odds that she found me? Of all people._

You shake your head, close your eyes, and have a cocky smirk across your face. You slowly turn your body to face the source of the familiar voice. You turn right around and stare ahead of you. She's easy to spot due to her clothing. It's the same little girl in her flowing red hood. Her silver eyes are completely focused on you. You cock your head a bit when you see her eyes. You never noticed that they were silver during your fight, or even after whilst you both walked to the ship. You've never seen eyes like hers before. They're unique.

"Oh, hey Little Red," you say, flicking your chin towards her. "Fancy meeting you here."

Ruby pauses for a moment. She's baffled at your friendly tone and warm smile. Even when she spoke to you after the fight, she thought you might just be dazed by the fight. Her entire team was certain there'd be some sort of tension or grudge. Yet her you are, greeting her in an, admittedly, confused manner.

"I… uh… of course you would. I go to school here," Ruby answers, innocent confusion in her voice.

You chuckle at her tone.

"I was joking. I just didn't expect to meet any of you so soon. Glad it's you though and not, tall, blonde, and angry."

Ruby raises her brow, unsure how to respond. Your eyes drift away from Ruby's and towards the sky.

"Um… so…" Ruby sheepishly asks, slowly walking towards you. "How are you… I mean do you feel… Does it still hurt?"

You lightly shrug.

"I'm alright. I'm not hurt, if that's what you're asking. I actually feel really loose and stretched out like after a good workout."

"You're… not… mad?" She asks, her voice layered with confusion.

You shake your head.

"No, why would I be? I'm not dead. I still have all my limbs." You pause for a moment before looking down at your arms and legs. "Yeah, still got'em."

Ruby rubs the back of her head.

"Oh, uh… okay. I was just, you know, thinking this was going to go differently. You know, maybe some yelling or something."

You can't help but chuckle.

"Was it not you who I talked to afterwards? Wouldn't you of all people know I'm fine with it?"

"Uhh… I guess," she halfheartedly responds.

You can tell she's a little uncomfortable right now. No doubt she's nervous around you. She feels guilty, no doubt about it. You casually walk up to her. As you're walking up to her, your eyes are attracted to something else. You see another of the girls you fought. You recognize her instantly in her white jacket, skirt, and hair. Weiss. She's with someone else who you don't recognize. A redhead with bronze armour, deep green eyes, and a green eyeliner that amplify her eye colour. She's the most warrior looking student you've seen so far.

Weiss looks in your direction and sees you and Ruby. She throws her finger towards you and stares at you with an intense glare.

"You!" She shouts.

Pyrrha looks around the courtyard until locking eyes with a slightly muddled you. Ruby turns around to her teammate and friend. Weiss marches up to you and shoves her finger right up to your face.

"What're you doing out here? With my teammate?" She questions.

"I… uh…" You mumble, not exactly sure how to answer this question properly.

"And you!" She shouts, pointing to a now confused Ruby. "Why didn't you let us know you found him?"

"Well, I, uh," Ruby fiddles with her fingers. "I… just found him."

You start laughing.

"Looks like you can cause anyone to have a loss for words."

She turns back to you.

"Quiet you!"

You lightly push Weiss' hand out of your face. As you brush her hand away you inevitably touch her skin. It's soft to the touch and slightly cool. The very contact sends shivers down your spine. It's like Glynda's eyes, except not fueled by fear.

"Listen princess, why don't you calm down a bit? Huh? This isn't the best second impression," you point out.

The heiress calms down a bit at your words.

"You didn't make the greatest first impression by attacking one of my friends," Weiss counters.

"Hey! She attacked me first! It was pure self-defense!"

"Well you obviously didn't handle the situation well enough. All of this could have been avoided," she remarks in a snarky attitude.

"I didn't see you trying to get my side of the story when you charged in with her!" You retort.

Ruby and Pyrrha watch you two banter. Their eyes constantly moving back and forth according to who's speaking. Pyyrha and Ruby turn to each other for a brief moment, looking at one another to try and think of a way to break up the conflict.

"How dare you! I was helping a teammate!"

"And I was trying to help law enforcement! Mine seems a little more noble, don't you think?"

Pyrrha decides to take a step in between the two of you.

"I don't think arguing is necessary. Water under the bridge, as the saying goes."

Weiss crosses her arms, leans on one hip, and turns her head away.

"Hm," she mutters.

You roll your eyes at her attitude. Seems her elegance in battle is only matched by a self-righteous attitude. Not wanting to dwell on that, you focus on the woman in front of you.

"Sounds good to me. So, who're you?"

"Who is she? You don't recognize her?" Weiss cuts in.

Sensing that Weiss isn't just saying this for no reason, you take another look at Pyrrha. The red pony tail, the green eyes, her pale complexion. Weiss' tone made it sound like you should know who she is. Like it's obvious and you're just an uneducated idiot. You really think back to everything you've seen and everything you've heard. But for the life of you, your memory just can't make a connection.

"She… was on the Bullhead we came here on?" You guess, which is evident in your tone of voice.

Weiss frowns at your answer. Before she can fly off the handle, Pyrrha steps in whilst Ruby drags Weiss away.

"My name's Pyrrha Nikos, it's a pleasure to meet you," she pleasantly greets, shaking your hand with a firm grip. "And I think Weiss was referring to my so called 'celebrity status'."

You bring your hand back from shaking Pyrrha's and divert it to rubbing your head.

"Oh… sorry… I'm sure you're extremely famous, but I honestly don't recognize you."

Pyrrha can't help but let out a small smile at your words, which does not go unnoticed by you. Though, you really have no reason to comment on it, so you just take it in stride. You notice that Weiss and Little Red have retreated back a bit. Their backs are to you, so you're not exactly sure what they're doing or what they're talking about. You're positive you'll learn in time, so, might as well get to know this admittedly intriguing woman in front of you.

"That's alright," Pyrrha smiles, waving her hand to the side. "I think I prefer it that way. So, I heard you combatted team RWBY all by yourself?"

You cross your arms and nod.

"Yeah, I did. It was pretty difficult, no doubt. They're a strong team and know how coordinate attacks. They could use some work though."

"Oh? How do you know?" Pyrrha asks, genuinely intrigued.

"Well, I've trained with a lot of people in my life, so I just kind of pick up on things like that. This one trainer I had in Atlas always made me fight teams so I could get used to overwhelming odds. She once set me up against eight, highly skilled Huntsmen. I mean sheesh, she was insane," you finish with a chuckle.

"I would assume you learned a lot through that."

You nod.

"Oh yeah, no doubt. I would even go as far as to say without that training I wouldn't have done nearly as good against those girls. So, I guess something good came out of it in the end." You look around, trying to see if any other girls from team RWBY are around. "So, where's your team? Or are you a loner like yours truly?"

"Oh, well two of my comrades are with the other members of team RWBY, who are actually searching for you. I hope Weiss and-"

"Hey!" A loud, energetic voice calls out from behind you.

Pyrrha looks over her shoulder and adopts a smile. You turn around to see who she's staring at. There are two girls walking towards you. One you definitely recognize.

"Oh god," you stutter, "it's tall, blonde, and angry. Though with less anger this time."

You know who Yang is, but the other girl eludes you. Your eyes move slightly to her but… she's not there anymore. You raise your brow at her disappearance.

"Where did…"

You suddenly feel a very energetic presence beside you. You slowly turn your head to right only to be greeted by a loud voice.

"Helloooo!" She shouts, almost knocking you off your feet.

"Gah! How did you get there so fast?" You spew.

"I walked here, silly. How else?" She happily explains, a smile never leaving her face.

Your head spins back and forth between the girl's current position and the location she was in mere seconds ago. You're utterly confused and surprised that she made it beside you so fast AND managed to sneak up on you in the process. She can't be lying. Her tone of voice and cheery attitude brush away any thought of her lying to you. Knowing you're probably never going to get the answer, you ignore it.

Yang, Weiss, and Ruby join your little group a moment later.

"I'm Nora!" The energetic girl shouts, saluting to you. "Nice to meet ya!"

You smile and give a quick nod.

"(Y/N). The feeling's..." You pause a moment to find the proper word. "Mutual," you end up using.

Not a moment later, two other students approach you. One is a man that you've never met before that appears to have a calm persona to him, and the other is the girl in black that you fought earlier. Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren stand to the left of you, while team RWBY stands to the right. They all have their attention focused on you, which kind of makes your stomach churn. You raise your hand up and extend one finger to the sky.

"Do I have something on my face? Why do you keep staring at me like that?" You half joke, half question.

Team RWBY all share a look before letting out a unified sigh.

"We want to apologize," Yang starts.

You notice that Little Red and the one in black aren't making eye contact with you that much. Little Red is making a little more than the other one, but still not too much. It's obvious they're still feeling bad about attacking you. They all are. Pyrrha probably said it best earlier. Water under the bridge. You want to say something to cut them off, but letting them get whatever they're saying off their chest is probably the best course. That way the matter is resolved.

"We acted irresponsibly which led to your injuries," Weiss continues.

"We hope you give Beacon a chance!" Ruby declares, a little happier of a tone than before. "It's… really cool here," her voice sinks back down.

Blake remains silent.

You shake your head and shrug.

"It's fine. Seriously. Look, how about you all come to Vale with me? I wanna check out the town a bit and having some people who know the place would be perfect for that," you suggest. "Plus we can get to know each other the proper way. A do over, if you will. Or as for you," you say, looking a Weiss, "it'll be the third greeting."

Weiss furrow's her brow at you but doesn't dismiss your idea completely.

"I think that's a great idea," she admits.

The rest of the girls nod. You're relieved that they're going along with this. You don't want four, strong enemies on your first day. Not that that hasn't happened before. You rest one hand on the pommel of your hilt and the other droops down.

"Well, come on then. The day's still young."

You walk past everyone and head towards the exit of Beacon. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang look at their other friends in a questioning manner, asking them if they're going to join in on this endeavor. Pyrrha shakes her head.

"No, you go with him. We have to go find Jaune anyway. Just, try not to get into a fight again," she jokes.

"For sure. Let's go!" Ruby exclaims with a surge of delight.

The four girls quickly catch up with you in seconds. You're walking quite slowly anyway, so it wasn't difficult by any means. Ruby and Weiss are to the left of you while Yang and Blake are to the right. You look at the girls and let out a guilty smile.

"What? Did you know we were going to catch up?" Yang inquires.

You rub the back of your head, close your eyes, and smile.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know where I'm going," you admit with a certain tone of lightheartedness.

Yang and Ruby giggles a bit. Weiss rolls her eyes. Blake remains silent.

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Ozpin, with his trusty can and cup of coffee in his hand, watches from the sidelines as you and team RWBY make your way onto an airship. A smirk resides on his face to show his content with the situation he's watching. He had no doubt that you would become friends with team RWBY. The fact that you had an encounter with the entirety of team JNPR, albeit not all at the same time, is another good sign. He wants you to make friends. True friends. The same kind of friends he has made.

Ozpin hears the clicking of heels behind him. He knows who it is instantly but doesn't react to their presence.

"Professor Ozpin, I went to your office but you weren't there. I wanted to give you my recommended schedule for (Y/N)," Glynda states.

Ozpin raises his brow, unbeknownst to Glynda.

"Not Mr. Slater?" Ozpin brings up.

Glynda's face reacts with surprise then reverts to her neutral expression.

"I… prefer to call him (Y/N). But that's not what I wanted to talk about. I do have a question, however."

"Go ahead," Ozpin says, taking a drink.

"The papers on your desk," she starts, crossing her arms and making her way around Ozpin to see his face. "They weren't just… enrollment papers. They were adoption papers."

Ozpin takes in a deep breath then exhales.

"Yes, there were. It's the second reason he's attending Beacon," Ozpin vaguely answers.

"And the first?"

Ozpin takes another drink.

"Beacon's his last stop."

Glynda, once again, cannot crack the code of what Ozpin is saying. It seems like this is happening more today than it normally does in a week. But, once again, she bites her tongue. She trusts Ozpin enough to know he's doing what he thinks is right, and what's best for the people around him. Besides, this is too trivial a matter to challenge him on. Knowing she won't get the information she's seeking, she decides to follow Ozpin's eyes. She looks around the area for a short second before spotting you and the girls. Glynda unconsciously adopts a smirk at the sight of you and the girls. Ozpin catches a glimpse of Glynda's content state.

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The airship ride seems awkward to everyone except you. You're staring out one of the many observation windows, taking in the sight that is the city of Vale. You haven't been here in years. To think back on, the last time you were here was when you trained at Signal Academy with Qrow. During that time, you didn't really explore Vale a lot, and, even if you did, it looks different from how you remember. During your last visit, you just stayed at your temporary foster parent's house. They didn't really pay too much attention to you most of the time, not that they were bad people. The father, whose name you can't recollect at the moment, was also a teacher at signal academy. You would have learned from him, and was originally supposed to, but after a sparring match with him, Qrow insisted on taking you under his wing for the time you were there. You're glad he did. You learned a lot from him, but still couldn't beat him.

"A trip to Signal is an idea… I could see if Qrow's still there. I wouldn't mind sparring with him again."

You smile at the idea of fighting Qrow at your current skill level. His final test was for you to land one solid hit on him. It sounded easy at first, but you learned it was far from easy. He went all out during that battle. He even used his scythe at full power against you. You barely were able to block his attacks, let alone fight back. You came out of that fight with a lot of bruises, but you managed to land one punch that sent him flying across the room. That hit was all you needed. After that, you fell to the floor with exhaustion; a huge smile on your face.

It was one of the most intense fights of your life, but you couldn't help but love every second of it. Maybe you can have one of those again soon. Maybe even with Qrow. The one with the girls was good, no doubt. But it wasn't near as intense as Qrow. You almost wish Qrow was the one you stayed with, the one who took you in as a foster child. Maybe he wouldn't have left you too. Then again, that might be hoping for too much. Perhaps its better he didn't take you in. That way you have no reason to hate him. He'd have no reason to hate you.

A small distance away from you is team RWBY, who aren't really sure what to do. They really don't know what to say to you. You're just staring out the window, smiling. They have no idea what you're smiling at or how to approach you for conversation. Yang, like everyone else, is staring at you. But something inside her tells her to check on her partner. She looks over at Blake who is sitting on her own, staring out a far window. Yang breaks off from her younger sister and the ice queen to be with her partner. She slides beside her Faunus friend, which makes Blake jump a bit.

"Hello!" Yang sings. "What's up, buttercup? Why're you all alone over here?"

Blake turns her head towards Yang. She sees the gitty nature, yet also the genuine concern in her eyes. She sighs.

"I… don't want to talk to him."

Yang raises her eye brow.

"You don't even wanna look at him?" Yang asks, looking back at you, purring. "It's a pretty nice sight."

"Wha- No! That's not what I meant," Blake quietly shouts, not wanting to attract any eyes to her flushed face. "I just… We may have apologized but… I let my emotions take control… And…"

Yang wraps her arm around Blake's shoulders and gives her a light squeeze.

"Hey, don't think of it like that. Why don't you just talk to him alone? That way you can say whatever you need to and get it all of your chest."

Blake's eyes rapidly fidget in an enclosed space as she takes in what Yang said. Knowing that she got through, Yang pats Blake's shoulder and leaves her to her thoughts. She returns to Weiss and Ruby, who are just staring at you. She steps in between the two and pipes up.

"So, what're we planning to do?" Yang inquires.

"Well, I just thought we'd walk around Vale until we find something to do," Ruby sheepishly chuckles.

"Why is that not a surprise to me," Weiss remarks, leaning on her hip and crossing her arms.

"Do you have a better idea?" Ruby asks, really hoping for Weiss to have a plan.

Instead of answering right away, Weiss' eyes drift upwards as she thinks. Her cheeks go a bit red.

"Well… no…" She admits.

Yang chuckles.

"Well, looks like we're going with your plan, Ruby."

Ruby pulls her fist to her chest in a victorious manner.

"Yes," she whispers with pride.

Weiss rolls her eyes at Ruby's petty victory. Her eyes drift back at you. You still haven't moved, excluding a few time's you've swayed from side to side during the wait. Deciding to get ahead of her teammates and learn a bit about you. She leaves her friends and stops beside you. You don't really notice her presence for some time. She looks at you and catches the side of your eyes. You don't look like you're even here right now. It's like you're somewhere else completely. One could say you're day dreaming.

"So… (Y/N)," Weiss starts, intertwining her hands behind her back while swaying back and forth. "I would like to formally introduce Vale to you. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay here."

You finally register Weiss' presences in your mind. You look over at the girl and smile.

"Well, it's not my first time here… but thanks anyways." You turn towards her like you're having an actual conversation. "So, how about we actually introduce ourselves. I'm (Y/N) Slater."

"Weiss Schnee."

"Schnee?" You repeat, crossing your arms and looking to the ground. "I've heard that name before…"

Weiss confidently smiles.

"Probably through the Schnee Dust Company."

You shake your head.

"No… no, that's not it."

Weiss is taken back a bit, somewhat insulted. You don't know the Schnee Dust Company or who Pyrrha Nikos was. But, admittedly, she's far more disappointed with the fact that you don't know her family company.

You shrug, brushing the thought to the back of your mind.

"Well, whatever. It's a pleasure to meet you, nonetheless. You're an extremely skilled fighter."

Weiss smiles at the compliment.

"Well, it comes natural when you're a Schnee."

You snicker.

"I'm sure. Anyway, it seems like we're docking. I'm sure we can discuss your skills later," you sarcastically remark, leaving Weiss to herself.

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Your small group disembark from the airship and enter Vale. You're walking along the sidewalk looking for nothing in particular. You're just wandering around with your hands intertwined behind your neck and your head leaning against your upper fingers. You're pretty relaxed right now. The bustling of the streets, the sound of other people talking, the odd chipper from a bird, which you far prefer over a grotesque Nevermore. Add to the fact that it's a beautiful day; the sun is warming the environment, but not enough to make it too hot. You breathe in, taking all the fresh air you can, then exhale. You open your eyes, spin yourself around, and proceed to walk backwards. You're facing team RWBY now, and all their eyes are on you.

"So, do you visit Vale often?" You ask, hoping for anyone to answer.

"We more often than not remain on campus grounds," Weiss replies.

"Speak for yourself. I know some pretty fun places around here when the sun goes down," Yang confidently states.

Even though two girls spoke, you could only focus on one. Little Red is staring down at your belt. You try to follow her eyes, which leads you to your sword.

"So… what sort of weapon do you have there?" Ruby pipes up.

"Oh, this?" You ask, moving your left hand beside you only to have the sheathe snap into your palm. "This is Crimson Blaze. Don't ask about the name, I didn't give it one. It's my father's old sword he made when he was young."

You unsheathe your weapon, revealing it's beautifully crafted black blade. Ruby's mouth begins to drool and her eyes turn to starts. She gasps, ogling over your weapon. She rushes up to it, inspecting every part of it. You chuckle.

"Would you like to hold it?" You ask Little Red, half chuckling.

She excitedly nods. You hand her the weapon, which she accepts. Ruby falls a bit at the weight, not expecting it to be as heavy as it is. She blushes in embarrassment at her actions, even though nobody seems to care too much. You snicker, and that's about it. She and the rest of her team inspect it.

"So… Why is it called Crimson Blaze?" Weiss inquires.

"Well, when its special ability is activated the blade changes to a deep red, hence the Crimson. The blaze part was specified to my father. Whenever he used the sword in its special state it would have a… like a fire enhancement, I suppose. He didn't even infuse the sword with dust, either. Thus, he dubbed it Crimson Blaze."

"So… did you use this 'special ability' against us?" Yang asks with curiosity.

You rub the back of your head and sheepishly chuckle.

"Well… no."

"So you weren't going all out on us?" Weiss concurs.

You shake your head.

"Of course not. As soon as I learned you weren't White Fang, I had no real intention of killing you."

Blake cringes a bit at your words, and you definitely notice. You've had an eye on her whenever you can. There's something about her that's intriguing. It's enhanced by the fact that she isn't talking to you at all. Obviously she has some problem with you. Not for long, if you have a say in it. Opposed to Blake, Ruby isn't even paying the slightest bit of attention to your words. She's too focused on looking at your weapon. Its make. Its components. It all interests Ruby. It may not be the most intricate weapon design she's ever seen, but the craftsmanship and sturdiness of the sword more than makes up for it. Suddenly, a thought pops into her mind. She can't find any device, button, or anything that would initiate any sort of new mode. She looks up at you with questions in her eyes.

"How does this 'special mode' activate?"

You look down at her silver eyes, yearning for the answer to her question.

"Well, I suppose you'll have to wait until I use it, cause I'm not telling," you end with a coy smile.

Ruby pouts. She hands you your sword back, which you promptly sheathe. You let go of the sheath and it automatically attaches to your belt, like always.

"Um… what?" Ruby asks, as puzzled as the rest of the team.

"Is that your semblance? Telepathy? Are you like Ms. Goodwitch?" Weiss assumes.

"What, no, no," you respond, shaking your hands in front of you. "It's just a little device my friend Dior made back in Vacuo. My glove," you raise your left hand. "Has a specialized magnet that's connected to the sheath of my sword. There's another one attached to my belt, which is what you just saw."

"Does the sword have a magnet too?" Weiss asks.

"No. I tried it with a different sword but it just through off my balance. Plus, this sword is kind of an heirloom… I didn't want to tamper with it."

After all this walking, you five finally come to a halt at a red light. You look at your surroundings for a store or landmark to stop at. You're tired of walking all around.

"Say, is there anything around here?" You query.

The four start to think.

"There's a few stores with some cool clothes," Yang says aloud.

"There's some fine restaurants not too far," Weiss ponders.

"There's this old park I used to go to," Ruby brings up, almost hesitantly.

"Park? I love parks. Sure, let's head there first," you decide.

Weiss rolls her eyes at your childish manner. Yang adopts a smile, since she too knows of the park that Ruby's talking about. Sure, she may have been a little old for it but she enjoyed going there nonetheless. Though, it has nothing on what Patch has. Ruby moves in front of everyone in a leader-esque manner.

"Alright gang, follow me!" She shouts, spinning around and marching towards her destination.

You return to your previous relaxing position and start following her. The rest of team RWBY do as well, though some of them aren't too happy about visiting a children's park. But, they still went along with it. It didn't take too long to reach the park Ruby talked about. It was a few blocks away at most, and it was a pretty relaxing two blocks at that. Weiss would ask you a question about your fighting style and previous training, which didn't bother you in the slightest. That's probably because you would respond with some smart alec remark to make her cheeks go red. Yang and Ruby would laugh along with you, but Blake kept silent.

You and the gang reach the park. It's in the middle of the streets with a couple trees dotted about and grass covering the plains. The park itself is in the middle, surrounded by sand and rocks. It's an average little place, nothing special. There's the colourful place for children to play, which had some monkey bars, swings, slides, the whole package. You swear you've been to this park before. Likely when you were last here. You can almost envision a young you running up the metal stairs, jumping across the shaky bridge, and sliding down the cool metal pole.

The sound of children talking, laughing, and playing fills the air around here. A few parents are sitting on the benches having conversation with one another. They occasionally look over to make sure their child is safe and sound. You turn around to the girls, gathering their attention.

"So who isn't going on that beautiful contraption?"

Weiss and Blake raise their hands. You attract your sword to your hand and hold it out in front of you. Weiss and Blake stare at it, then you.

"Well, I don't want to scare the kids," you say as if they should know.

Weiss grabs your blade and holds it close.

"I'll watch over it. Come on Blake, we'll take a seat somewhere and make sure our children don't hurt themselves," she says, poking fun at you, Ruby, and Yang.

Without wasting anymore time, you bolt towards the playground. Ruby and Yang run in after you. You make it there first, running up one of the slides in a victorious manner. Some other kids look at you with amazement. They bounce up and down before running up to you. Ruby and Yang notice some parents getting a little concerned. Yang, being older than Ruby, decides to go ease the parents minds while Ruby comes to play.

"So, what're you guys up to?" You ask the kids, kneeling down to their level.

"We're playing games," one responds in a childlike slur.

You smile.

"Can I play? I love games?"

All the kids nod in agreement. Ruby takes a step onto the playground and stares at you. All the kids seem so excited to be playing with you yet they've never met you before. Maybe it's just being with an older person? She really doesn't know.

She watches you pick one kid up and spin around with him. Another jumps on your back. Two more on each leg. Already laughter is erupting from the kids. All the parents let out a sigh of relief when they see your gentle nature. You and the kids move from the playground to the twisty slide, making a train for you to all go down together. You're in the lead, of course. You slide down the cramped slide, then stop. One of the other kids is crawling through the bottom.

"I'm the slide monster!" He howls.

"Run! We must climb back up! Go!" You shout, pretending to be in a real crisis.

Screams erupt from the slide, echoing into the open world. The kids who aren't in the crazy tube scurry back and watch, still giggling. Everyone in the stub crawls out as fast as they can, smiling and laughing. You get to the end then feel a hand grab your foot. You grip the edge of the tube and look out to the younger ones.

"It's got me… go on… without me," you overdramatically say before letting go.

The kids start to laugh as you fall into the darkness of the slide. The kid behind you starts laughing. You make sure to turn yourself around, get him in your arms, and slide down with no risk of hurting him. He's laughing the entire time, which puts a smile on your face too. You slide off the edge and onto your feet, the child still in your arms. You set him down, russle his hair, and send him off.

"Very nice, monster. Very nice. Go catch up with everyone."

He nods and rushes back to his friends. You jump, do a flip, and land on one of the poles keeping the structure up. The kids marvel at your ability. You hop off the pole and land in the middle of them all. The surround your legs, begging for you to show them how to do that.

In the distance – though at varied distances – team RWBY watches you. Yang gets an idea. She gets off the bench and walks towards the playground.

"Where're you going?" Weiss questions.

"I'm going to have some fun. Sitting on a bench isn't my type of fun."

You and the kids keep chatting near the slide. Suddenly, you hear some rumbling coming from the plastic cave. You and all the kids turn towards it, waiting for whatever's in there to show its face. As the figure emerges into the light, you start to recognize features. The long blonde hair is the first sign that this is none other than Yang. She looks up at you with her lilac eyes filled with childish happiness. You smile at her decision to play along. You back up, keeping the kids behind you.

"Stay back, children!" You shout in a melodramatic, heroic voice. "It's a true monster! I will keep you safe!"

The kids laugh hysterically as they follow your command. Yang crawls out and assumes a very monstrous position. You take a heroic stance to defend the innocent children.

"Those children will be mine!" She howls in a fake monster voice. Yang lightly grabs your shoulders and wrestles with you. She growls playfully at you. It takes a lot in you to keep yourself from laughing.

"Yang, you mind if I toss you back in?" You whisper.

Yang nods. You break free of her grasp and gently tackle her stomach. She falls onto her back, which makes your face fall into her open stomach – her soft skin. You instantly get off of her to avoid any awkward situations. You look down at Yang, who is helpless on her back. You rest your foot against one of hers.

"Say goodbye, fiend!" You shout, pushing her back into the slide.

"No!" She screams as she disappears into the darkness.

The kids cheer and surround you once more, praising you for saving them. You're standing triumphantly amongst your fans. But… out of the corner of your eye you notice something. Someone, to be specific. A small girl is sitting alone on a swing. Her friends are swinging beside her, but she seems to be having trouble. She can't swing herself. You pout at the sight. You shake the kids' hands and pat their heads before heading off. Yang, who's taken a few steps away from the playground, watches you with curiosity.

You approach the small girl. She has long brown hair and matching brown eyes. She looks up at you with confusion.

"Do you need a push?" You softly ask, smiling.

She slowly nods. She readjusts herself on the swing as you walk around to her back. You place your hands on her back and give her a light push. She goes forward, comes back, and you push her again. She starts laughing and finally having fun. You can't stop pushing her now, so you keep going.

"Hey! Why does she get a push?" Another girl whines.

You move behind her, push, then move back behind the original one. You manage to keep the two going at a decent pace while you go back and forth. The sound of their high pitch laughter brings a certain warmth to your heart. If there's one thing that can make you smile, one thing that can alleviate any sort of negative emotions, it's kids laughing because of you.

"Sepia! Are you having fun?" An older woman, likely parent, asks.

You turn towards the source of the voice, still smiling. Your smile instantly drops when you see who it is. A middle aged woman with features very much like her daughter approaches you. You know this woman. You've seen her before. She approaches you and stops dead in her tracks. She stares at you for a moment, her eyes moving up and down your body.

"I… Do I know you?" She asks, barely above a whisper.

"You do. I know your husband, too," you coldly answer.

Her eyes widen at the realization.

"(Y/N)?" She exclaims. "(Y/N), is that you? My you've grown!"

You recoil a little bit, moving away from the woman. She notices this.

"I-I didn't know you were in Vale. We weren-"

"I doubt you'd want me back anyway," you hiss.

The woman sighs, her body drooping. She looks at you with apologetic eyes. She knows exactly why you're upset. Why you have a right to be.

"You know, we never-"

"Wanted me around? You could've just said that at the beginning. I was… happy…" You admit, trailing off into your own little world.

"I… I'm sorry, (Y/N)," she whispers, but you don't hear her.

You remember them. She's the wife of the Huntsman you lived with. At that time they didn't have a child, though. You spent nearly a year with them. It's the longest you've ever been with a family, besides your biological parents. You thought that you'd finally found a home after searching for years. You were wrong. Like the ones before, and the ones after, they kicked you out after a time and sent you off to some other part of Remnant. No regret. No goodbyes. The only person you were able to say goodbye to was Qrow.

Team RWBY looks over at you. They all notice the awkward atmosphere that inhibits that area.

"What's with (Y/N)?" Weiss asks the now approaching Ruby and Yang.

"I have no idea. He was all happy and then…" Ruby can't come up with a proper description.

"Maaaaybe we should get him outta here," Yang suggests.

The team agrees and sets off towards you.

You look back up at the woman. She's keeping her eyes on you, desperately hoping you'll talk to her. So many different emotions are flowing through you. So many different thoughts. Countless different paths are branching out for you to take. But one yearns for you. It calls your name. It's one of disgust, of hatred. You're honestly not sure whether you hate these people. They betrayed your trust. That's unforgivable.

You clench your teeth and turn away from her. You hear her voice echo something, but it's inaudible. You raise your left hand which sends your sword shooting out of Weiss' fingers and into your hand. You reattach it to your belt and start walking away, leaving team RWBY to catch up. Weiss, Blake, and Yang continue to follow you. Ruby runs up to the woman.

"I'm sorry for that. I don't know why he acted that way. Maybe… it's my fault," she says, her mind thinking back to your fight.

The woman shakes her head.

"No… it's mine."

With those words, the woman walks back to her child, leaving Ruby a bit confused. Not wanting to be left behind, she quickly catches up with the rest of you.

"What was that?" She asks as soon as she swoops in beside you.

You wave your hand aimlessly in the air.

"It was nothing, don't worry about it. Come on, there should be more to see."

You all get back onto the sidewalk and into town.

"Well, I suggest some sites that Vale has to offer. There are some impressive views around," Weiss brings up.

"Lame! We need something fun, Weiss, not something that makes him want to claw his eyes out," Yang counters.

"There is nothing wrong with site seeing. There's always that beautiful old opera house."

"Isn't that abandoned?" Ruby brings up.

"Shut it! They don't have to be inhabited to be significant!"

The three continue bickering, but it doesn't really interest you. What does catch your eye is a small store. "Tukson's Book Trade" it reads. You've always been one to appreciate a good book now and again. You start to slow down, and eventually change your course to the shop. The girls, still talking, fail to notice you slip away. You shove your hands in your pocket and let out a sigh. A good story might push aside the less than pleasant encounter you had a few minutes ago.

You open up the door which causes a small bell to ring. It's a quaint little shop. Books are stacked everywhere, which is to be expected. There are shelves of books to the left of you, covering the entirety of the wall. A few lines where some comic books are near the large mirror too. There are small stands scattered with dozens of books all around the store, yet there's enough space to move around comfortably. There isn't a whole lot of diversity in terms of colour, but it seems to suit the store. A calm, quiet place to buy books. At the desk directly in front of you stands a man. He's a decent height and quite bulky at that. The most noticeable feature is his prominent, brown sideburns. Other than that he has clean cut hair, hazel eyes, and a pale complexion. He's currently wearing a long-sleeved black shirt that covers his arms, but still shows off his muscles.

He looks up at you and smiles.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade; home to every book under the sun. How may I help you?" He politely asks with a deep voice.

"Oh, I'm just browsing. I'm new to Vale, so I'm familiarizing myself with the place," you say while browsing through some books.

Tukson sizes you up for a moment.

"Are you… from the school?"

You look at him and nod.

"Mhm. I guess the sword kinda gives it away, huh?" You chuckle, rubbing the back of your head. "Hope I don't look too intimidating."

Tukson chuckles.

"You seem to balance it out. I'm just surprised a student from Beacon would come here. I don't see many young people interested in books these days, especially Huntsmen."

You skim through a few pages of a miscellaneous book.

"Well, you know… I like books. I moved around a lot when I was a kid. I'd leave behind friends… family… all of them would just disappear. But the people in these books, the connection I would make with them, was something that I could always take with me. They were almost like my friends, you know?" You hopelessly ask, giving Tukson a weak smile before returning your gaze to the books.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that," he says, not really sure what else to say.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I just kinda got lost in thought," you snicker. "I think I'll take this one."

You grab a book from the shelf and gently place it on the counter. Tukson rings it up and you give him the appropriate amount of Lien.

"You know… if you really want a few more books I have a small proposition," Tukson brings up.

You shrug.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I have a shipment of new books coming in this Friday. I could use an extra set of hands to offload and store them all. If you help me, I'll give you three of them for your work."

You smile at the offer. Seems you might have a made a friend, or at least a soon to be friend.

"That sounds fair. I'll definitely be here. Maybe I'll drop by before then too."

Tukson smirks.

"Sure… Why not?"

You grab the book and start to walk away.

"Thanks Tukson! I'll see you later," you end with a wave.

And with that, you leave the store with a new book for your collection.

"The Thief and the Butcher, huh?" You read.

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"HOW DID WE LOSE HIM?" Ruby shouts, keeping her eyes peeled for your green jacket.

It took the team a good seven minutes before realizing you weren't with them anymore. Ruby's mind is swirling with dozens of thought as to what has happened to you. Maybe Ozpin or Ms. Goodwitch found you. Maybe they're getting mad at her right now for loosing you in the city. You're just not a person she can do right by so far. Attacking you. Losing you. She just can't take it.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang are scouring the town for you as well. The team isn't split up this time, as not to repeat history in anyway. The four girls turn a corner only to topple over someone.

"Gah, geez!" He screams with surprise. Ruby, unfortunately, is laying right on top of the poor person they ran over. Ruby's mouth echoes with a lifeless moan as she's squished under her teammates. She opens her eyes and stares down at the man under her. The eyes. The hair. The facial features in general.

It's you!

You look up at Ruby who's being pressed against you. Her entire front is just forcing itself on top of you. Your noses are basically touching, and you can feel the warmth of her breath. Her silver eyes stare at you blankly for a few second before recognizing it's you. You both stare at each other for a second, your minds ignoring the pain of being squished. Ruby's cheeks start to go red. She's not used to being this close to a boy, especially in the position she's in right now. What's worse is the fact that she can't get up. She's stuck here, with you, in this position.

The other girls roll off of Ruby. As soon as she has room, Ruby bursts off of you and moves away. You slowly get up, chuckling.

"You know, this is almost as bad as before."

Weiss rolls her eyes.

"Where did you go?" She asks.

"To that bookstore. Where did YOU go?" You redirect.

Weiss puffs her cheeks, ready for an argument. You can't help but smile at how easy it is to get her going. You look over Weiss' shoulder to Ruby. She's still a little red and is looking at the floor. You lean on one leg to get a clearer view of her.

"You alright Little Red? Second from the bottom is always the worst."

Ruby sheepishly nods. Yang notices Ruby's sudden change in personality and slips beside her to see what's the matter.

You clap your hands together to gain everyone's attention.

"Well, I've had enough fun for one day. Mind if we head back to Beacon? It's starting to get a little dark anyway."

"That sounds fine. Come on, we should get going then," Yang agrees before Weiss can say anything.

The five of you head off back to Beacon. The walk a very quiet one.

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You didn't talk a lot more after you got back to Beacon. The girls wanted to see where you were staying, just in case. Surprisingly Blake suggested this, which was the first words she's said nearly all day. You lead them to your dorm and stopped in front of it.

"Hey, you're just a bit away from us!" Yang observes, looking back at a hallway a short distance back that houses their own dorm.

"Huh… cool. Well, I gotta get in here before Ms. Goodwitch gets here. You should probably skedaddle too. She'll hit me with her stupid stick if she sees girls around here," you sheepishly chuckle, really hoping the teacher doesn't show up.

"Alright. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you (Y/N)," Weiss says, bowing her head.

You laugh.

"No it wasn't. Don't lie."

Weiss looks back at you with daggers, which only makes you laugh even more.

"It was nice meeting you all. We'll talk again soon, I hope. You girls, the other team, and that Jaune guy are the only people I really know."

With that, you give one final wave before entering your dorm and closing the door behind you. You hear the girls shuffle out of the hallway. You let out a sigh from the exhausting day. Between the massive battle, playing with kids, meeting an old foster family, finding a new bookstore to hang out at, and being crushed by the four girls, it's been a rough day for you. Rough, but extremely entertaining.

You attract your sword to your hand, then toss it into the corner of the room. It thankfully lands perfectly, leaning into the corner. You look to your bags that are neatly stacked with the books, posters, and clothes you brought. You start with the books and line them up in one of the bookshelves near your bed. You make sure to place your newest book on top of it, so you remember to read it. Next comes the clothes. There's a small dresser for you, which you place the few clothes you have in. Last are the posters. They're easy to set up around the room since you don't really have a specific spot you want them. You just post them around the room itself. The whole process maybe takes you twenty minutes at most – the majority of the time coming from stacking the books.

 **Knock Knock Knock**

Suddenly you hear a knock on your door. You turn to it and raise your eye brow.

 _Is that Ms. Goodwitch? Can't she just walk in?_

You shrug, then walk to the door. You open it up and see, to your surprise, the girl in black. She's nervously standing in front of you. It's a lot different from the persona she had back when you fought. Maybe it's effecting her a lot more than you originally thought.

"Oh… hey, uh, I never caught your name, actually," you say with a hint of nervousness, genuinely lost as to why she's here.

"It's Blake… and… can I just come in?"

You quickly nod.

"Yeah, yeah, come in," you say, backing away from the door to let her in.

Blake walks in and shuts the door behind her. She approaches you in a lost manner. It's like she doesn't know herself why she's here, but she is. You wait for her to speak, as you really have nothing right now.

"I… I just want to get something off my chest. I want to apologize for what I did. I know we did it as a team but… I let myself go and attacked you without getting your side of the story. It's just… the Faunus have been somewhat of a touchy subject lately," she admits, her voice quiet.

"Blake… it's alright. I forgive you. You acted appropriately. In your eyes it seemed like I was just killing people, and I can see why you would have acted that way. I probably would have, too." This puts a small smile on her face.

"Thank you… I just feel so stupid that I let that guy go. He might have known something. He… he could have been useful."

This peeks your interest a bit. Why would she need a high ranking member of the White Fang?

"What makes you interested in him? Isn't that the police's job?"

Blake quickly realizes what she's saying. A very select group of people know about Torchwick, and Blake's own interest in the White Fang. She can't go revealing these things to a complete stranger, even if she feels like she owes you.

"Nothing, nevermind. Just… thank you. I feel better now. Sorry for being so awkward around you."

You take a step towards her and pat her arm.

"As long as you promise not to be like that anymore, I'll be fine. So, we're cool?"

Blake nods.

"Yeah… I guess we are."

You and Blake stare at each other for who knows how much longer. Her eyes are something else. It seems like that team is full of unique eyes. Blake starts rapidly blinking and looks away.

"Well… I-I'm going to go. Have a good night," she says as she leaves the room.

"Hey Blake!" You call out.

Blake stops at your door and looks back.

"Back in the field, you said you agreed that you were one of them. Originally I thought that meant White Fang, which is why I fought you. But after your friends showed up I had no intention to kill any of you. Now, if you weren't agreeing to being a White Fang… there's only one other thing you meant," you calmly ask, trying not to push too hard now that you've just reconciled.

Blake stares at you wide eyed. She's caught, no doubt. She sighs, looks away, then looks back at you.

"Yes… I'm a Faunus."

You slowly nod your head.

"Hm… alright then. It makes a little more sense now. Well, I'll just keep that to myself. Good night, Blake."

"Good night."

Blake slowly shuts the door and leaves your room. You let out a small smile at the whole confrontation you just had.

"I like her. Granted, I like them all. They have a certain energy, once they all got over the sorrow of fighting me."

You walk over to your bed and plop down on it, bouncing a bit at your land. You place your hands behind your head and let out a relaxed sigh. The bed is comfortable and welcoming, which is exactly what you want from a bed. You'd actually go to sleep right now, but you need to wait for Ms. Goodwitch to drop by. You're really lucky that she didn't pop by while Blake was here. That would have been-

 **Knock Knock Knock**

You look over at the door and sigh. This has to be Ms. Goodwitch, no doubt. You roll off the bed and head towards the door. You open it up but don't see anyone directly in front of you. Your eyes drift down to a small, red hooded girl, silver eyed, pale girl. She's holding a small plate of cookies and has a nervous smile splattered across her face. She lifts her cookies closer to you.

"Cookie?" She sheepishly offers.

"Little Red… what're you doing?"

"I just, you know, uh, wanted to make amends."

 _Two of them? Really, if they all come over I'll just get annoyed._

"Oh… well… why don't you come in? The others might smell those delicious cookies."

Ruby giggles a bit.

"Yeah, they do smell good," she coos, obviously wanting to gobble up the cookies herself.

You lead her inside and quickly shut the door. As much as you don't want to think it, you want her out of here before Ms. Goodwitch gets here.

"So… what's the occasion?" You happily asks.

"Well… you know," Ruby hesitantly starts, something obviously on her mind. "You… You were my mission – my responsibility. Yet, we hurt you. We even lost you in Vale. I just want to give you something for that." Her eyes move down to her cookies. "I really like these. They're not as good as my mom's … but… they're my favourite now. I want you to have'em."

She extends her hands and presents the plate of cookies to you. You huff and smile at her gesture.

"They're your favourite?"

Ruby nods.

"But it's okay! I want to give them to you."

Little Red looks really adorable to you right now. Her innocent silver eyes that beg you to take her gift, her very posture that echoes youth and purity. She genuinely wants to make this up to you even though you've told her your fine with it. It almost says something about her. You don't think it's her desire for your approval, but just the fact that she wants to rectify something she deems wrong. You honestly thinks it's admirable of the young huntress in training.

"How about…" You raise your finger under your lips, dragging out your little joke. "We eat them together? I wouldn't want to torture you like that, seeing as how they're your favourite," you softly say.

A smile slowly creeps onto Ruby's face. She happily nods.

"I like that idea."

You and Ruby walk over to your bed and take a seat, the plate in between you two. You each grab a cookie and sit in silence. In almost an instant, you hear Ruby reaching for another cookie. You look over to see that three are already gone. As your eyes drift to Ruby you see a rather sweet sight. Ruby is in utter bliss as she chows down on the cookies. You just can't help but smile at the sight. You take a bite of your own cookie, leaving less than half of it left. Ruby starts looking around your room.

"So this place is all yours?" She asks, still surveying the room.

"Ya, it is," you huff. "Not too shabby, but makes me almost feel lonely. So much space yet there's only me."

Ruby turns to you, taking in your downcast sentence.

"Well… there's us! And JNPR! You don't have to be alone!" She declares in hopes of raising your spirits, though they really don't need to be risen at all.

You grin at her statement.

"Yeah, I suppose. Either way, I have all my books here," you mention, pointing at your collection.

Ruby gasps at the sight. She hops off your bed and kneels down in front of your collection.

"Oooh, there are soooo many! I love books! I don't think… hey! This one's my favourite!" She shouts, pulling out an old adventure book. "This is one my sister used to read to me when I was young!"

"Really? Well, you can borrow it if you want," you offer, taking another cookie.

Ruby gasps, her eyes lighting up like stars. She rushes towards you with the book squeezing against her chest.

"You mean it!?"

You shake your head in approval.

"Of course."

Ruby looks down at the book and smiles, memories of her childhood flooding through her mind. No bad memories even cross her mind. Nothing about her mother dying or her father's shut down. Just the ones about Summer making cookies, Yang reading to her, them being a family, and the route of her desires to be a Huntress. All that is embodied in this book. She squeezes it tighter, letting out a cute squeal of delight. You chuckle at her action. It's hard not to.

But then it happened.

 **Knock**

 **Knock**

Only two this time. After came a brief four seconds of silence.

 **Beep**

The lock disengages. The door opens. Ms. Goodwitch walks in and sees the sight. Ruby, the youngest member of Beacon Academy is in your room, alone. Her eyes fire daggers at you that rattle you to the very core. You can practically hear her teeth clenching. Hear the growl of her voice. Ruby herself seems a little scared of the teacher.

"What did I say earlier?" She hisses.

You sheepishly chuckle, rubbing the back of your head. You're convinced this is how you're going to die.

"Um… I'm going to go," Ruby says before running away in a flash, leaving a few red rose pedals behind.

Ms. Goodwitch closes the door behind her with her riding crop, her eyes never breaking contact with yours.

"I'm… sorry?"

Lucky for you, her demon-like persona drops. She huffs, shaking her head.

"I asked one thing from you, and you couldn't even do that. This better not be happening again. If I find any evidence of any tawdry activity in this room-"

"There won't!" You shout, cutting her off. "I promise! It'll never happen again."

For once, she smiles.

"Good. Now, I have your schedule." She walks up to you, towering above as you sit on your bed. "Semester two isn't far away, so I decided not to officially enroll you in any classes until then. However, I have a list of classes I want you to attend anyway. You need to get in the habit of a school schedule."

She has a reason to do this. You've never really followed any school rules in your travels. You'd train with a specific person, learn a few academic lessons along the way, then were kicked out and shipped off somewhere else. You're still on par with what the students here know, but you've never really experienced it properly. With Ms. Goodwitch's plan, you'll be able to get accustomed to it all, instead of having to adapt next semester and possibly having your grades suffer for it.

Your scroll goes off, indicating you got a message.

"I sent you the classes you'll be attending until semester two. Though you may not have to do the work, don't think you'll get out of combat training. I'll be sure to have you fighting a few times a week," she threatens.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," you smile, genuinely excited to see what the students at Beacon can do.

"Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. Good night, (Y/N)."

Ms. Goodwitch walks away from you. She opens up your door and is about to walk out.

"Ms. Goodwitch!" You call out. She turns around to face you. You're smiling. "Thank you. Have a good night yourself."

She's admittedly a little surprised at this. Pleasantly surprised. She smirks for a moment before regaining her regal posture and leaving your room. You smile, knowing you got to her right then and there. You lie back on your bed, letting out some air. You're finally able to-

 **Knock Knock Knock**

You let out an irritated, but quiet, moan. You lift yourself off your bed and approach the door. You open it up, seeing Little Red once again.

"I, uh, left my plate here. Can I just… get that baaack," she whispers in an awkward tone.

"Yeah, of course."

You grab the plate off your bed and bring it back to her at your door. Ruby smiles and begins to walk away. Something suddenly fills your mind. Pieces fall together, and you realize you have to ease this girl's mind the same way you did Blake's. You're never going to become friends if she's strung up on your first encounter. On her so called "failed mission". You need to say something. Now.

"Hey, Little Red!"

Ruby turns around, curious as to what you have to say.

"You said you feel like you failed your mission, right? Well… I don't see it like that. In fact I think you completed your mission with flying colours!" Ruby recoils a bit out of pure confusion. "You found me, no? You tested my abilities; proved I was a worthy candidate for Beacon, and brought me back here. That's what your mission was, right? To bring me back here? Well, you did it. So, I would say that's a successful mission."

Ruby slowly smiles at your little speech. She nods, finding a newfound happiness that seems to have just crawled to the surface.

"I guess I did. My first mission… Team RWBY's first mission WAS A SUCCESS!" She screams with joy, bouncing a little.

Her youth really comes out sometimes.

"And um," you start. "I never caught your name."

"It's Ruby. Ruby Rose," she reveals before leaving.

You watch her until she turns down the hallway.

"Not a bad name."

With that, your day is done. You close the door, lock it, and walk away. You take off your jacket and t-shirt only to toss them onto a nearby chair. You flop in your bed, still in jeans, and close your eyes.

Your first impression of Beacon? The first word that comes to your mind right now?

Intriguing.

 **Thank you all for reading! My apologies for taking so long. For those who don't follow me on Twitter (which, if you want updates on my stories then I encourage you to follow) you'd know that my computer broke a few weeks ago. I just got it back today, which is why you're getting this chapter.**

 **Now of course, I know what you're all thinking.**

" **WHO ARE WE PAIRED WITH!?"**

 **Well, I've finally come up with an answer. After a LOT of thinking, planning, discussing, and reading, I finally decided on a character. That character is Ruby. Yes, I know there are people who chose other people. I told you that you may not get your character, and this is just how it happened. Of course, this romance won't happen immediately, and bonding between other members of team RWBY, and other students, will happen. I really want to immerse you in Remnant to the best of my abilities, keeping the story as cannon as possible. Who knows, it is high school, so maybe you'll end up dating someone before Ruby? Maybe not? You'll just have to keep reading to see. I have a lot planned so stick around! Once again, thank you all for reading! Have a great day guys!**

 **And, one more little note to the guest who has requested stories - Eclipse. Unfortunately I'm not taking any requests at the moment, so I can't do any of the stories you asked. My apologies.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	4. Chapter 4: Under the Moonlight

**Chapter 4: Everything is Different Under the Moonlight**

Cold. Weak. All alone. These daunting feelings echo through you in this cold plain of darkness. You can barely see a foot ahead of you. You're taking it all one step at a time. Yet… when you look at your feet, they're small.

You feel small – frail.

You have to find someone to comfort you, someone who can make you feel warm, strong, and welcomed. So you pick up the pace; start running. You don't know if you're going in the right direction, or even what the right direction is. You could be running farther away for all you know. The shadow continues to cloud your mind until a feeling envelops you.

You aren't running anymore. You're falling. Your body twists and turns. Your voice echoes through the emptiness of this plane. Fear controls you, brings you into its arms and shapes you into what it wants.

Finally a bright lights illuminates your surroundings. You look around to see grass, trees, buildings, and people. Were you really somewhere else, or were your eyes just closed? Either way, you're happy that there's finally sunlight and people around.

You actually recognize where you are. You know this place like the back of your hand. You sprint across the grassy plain and through the makeshift streets. It's a small village you're in, so the streets are mostly just the paths in between each building. You finally stop at one of the houses. A woman stands in front of the building, hanging some clothes out to dry. Her face, however, is completely distorted. You can't see any of her features, yet you somehow know who it is.

"Mom!" you cry out, running towards her for a hug.

You don't even mean to say or do what your body is doing. It's automatic. Yet the warm, fuzzy feeling of your mother picking you up in her arms is one unmatched. You haven't felt this feeling in eleven years. Your mother doesn't say a word, and even through her distorted face you can tell she's smiling. Suddenly someone steps out from the house. Like your mother, you can't see his face, but your body is telling you that it's your father. He walks up to you and sticks out his hand.

You go to slap it, but then everything seems to change. The sun goes red, your parents get serious, and screams erupt from everywhere. Your mother puts you down and pushes you away from her. You try to go back to them but your body won't let you.

"Run (Y/N)! Go!" she screams.

Suddenly, a Beowolf lands behind her and slices her in two. You scream in horror. You want to get closer, you want to help, but you can't. You can only watch. You see your father fight off some Beowolves, but he is slain too. They then turn to you, slowly walking towards you. You turn and try to run only to bump into another Beowolf. Its glowing red eyes stare daggers at you. Its teeth ready to bite into your small body. In an instant it comes down on you, growling its signature growl.

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Your eyes shoot open. You sit up, extend your left hand to attract Crimson Blaze and draw the blade within seconds. Your breathing is heavy and erratic, your body is covered in sweat, and your eyes can't remain in one spot for more than a second. Your mind is on the fritz, not knowing whether you're really safe or not. Every muscle in your body is hot and tight.

After taking a moment to calm down, your mind start to comprehend what's happening. You look around the room, recognizing where you are. You lower your blade to your side, still panting. You sheath your weapon and maneuver your body so your feet touch the ground. You rest your head in your right hand and all you can feel is sweat.

It was a dream. That's all it was. Nothing more, and nothing less.

That's a lie.

It was more. It was a distorted memory. You know for a fact that it never happened like that, but… how could you know? You barely remember that day yourself. It's been so long. If there's one truth in that dream, it's that you really can't remember what your parents look like. You haven't thought of it in a while, but it's not like you can blame yourself. You have no pictures, nothing but Crimson Blaze to remind you of them. It's been eleven years since you've seen either of them, so your memory is fuzzy when it comes to their features.

You shake your head and stand up, attaching Crimson Blaze to your belt before walking to the bathroom. You stop at the sink where the mirror reflects your figure back at you. You stare at it for a second and can see the dark rings under your eyes from fatigue. It's obvious you haven't had a very good sleep. You look exhausted.

You turn on the sink to let out some cold water and collect some of it in your hands to splash yourself with. It's a wave of refreshment and helps to dispel the feeling of being tired. You look back at the mirror, small drops of water sliding down your face and falling back into the sink.

You rub your face a couple times before pushing off the sink and leaving the bathroom. You grab your scroll off the desk and leave your room. You don't have any clothes over your chest, but you don't really care right now. It's after twelve, so the likelihood of someone seeing you is minimal.

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Weiss gulps down the final bit of her coffee. She's been reading over her notes for tomorrow's test all night. Of course she knows most of it, but studying is never a bad thing. She required the help of coffee to keep herself awake, however.

The rest of her team is sleeping like babies. She'd convinced Ruby and Yang to study with her in an attempt to help the two sisters out. They aren't the worst in their class, but their study habits aren't something to be admired. She wasn't too worried about Blake, since she tends to keep her grades up fairly well.

Weiss stretches her hands and lets out a yawn. She stands up and walks over to the nearby window. She needs a little break and some fresh air would do wonders. She cracks the window open and leans out and the wind blows against her silky, white hair. Something then catches Weiss's eye. Someone's walking around campus. She squints to get a clearer view of who this mysterious person is. Jeans. Shoes. A katana... But no shirt. It soon becomes clear who this person is.

"(Y/N)? What're you doing out so late?" Weiss whispers to herself.

She watches you stroll through the courtyard and towards the edge of Beacon, where the docking area is. Weiss stays at the window for a few more seconds after you disappear from her view. Her mind continues to cycle through the possibilities of what you're doing. As she ponders, she backs up to her bed and takes a seat. Unfortunately she can't come up with an answer and it's starting to aggravate her. She bursts off her bed and exits her room, determined to find out what you're up to. She can't have a new student running wild at night.

She exits her dorm and proceeds through the halls. It's dark, but thankfully there's a light or two throughout the hallways, most likely for any professors that wander the halls, searching for students who escape at night. Weiss doesn't want to be labeled as such and, for some reason, she doesn't want you to either.

It's almost a protective instinct. You're under team RWBY's protection, which means you're under Weiss' protection, even if she thinks you're unbearable. Besides that, she can't help but be curious as to what you're up to.

Weiss reaches the exit and makes her way to where she saw you earlier. The wind has already died down a bit, but that's fortuitous for Weiss as she's still wearing her night gown. Its light blue tone glows in the light of the moon, which makes her symbol on her upper-right more noticeable.

She scans the area for any sign of where you're going. Luckily, due to your lazy pace, you're not too far from where she first saw you. You're casually walking through Beacon, rubbing your face every so often. Weiss begins marching towards you, her fists clenched and her steps heavy. So much so that it nearly echoes through the entire school.

To her surprise, you stop after reaching the open area of the docking area. Weiss stops walking, curious as to what you're about to do. She quickly shoots her head back and forth, looking for somewhere to hide. She moves behind a pillar, peaking her head out enough to clearly see you. Her hair falls completely down, somewhat giving her away.

You take a quick look around the area, taking it all in for what it is. The area is cold, dark, and you can't see everything. You slowly reach for the hilt of your weapon. Your fingers tenderly wrap around the hilt, each finger resting on it one at a time. Once the hilt is firmly gripped, you take a deep breath. You attempt to concentrate, just as one of your old masters taught you.

"Quick, precise, deadly," you whisper.

You start to hear something. It's a deep sound, devoid of emotion and feeling. You'd recognize that sound anywhere. You open your eyes to see a Beowolf pouncing towards you. You can't help but freeze in place for a second. Pure hesitation. Once you force yourself past the irrational fear, you unsheathe your blade and dash towards it, slicing him in two.

You slide to a stop and turn around, content with your attack. Suddenly more Beowolves start to creep out of the shadows. Their blood red eyes all staring you down. You can't stand to look directly into their eyes. All you can see is a reflection. It's not clear, but it forms a pit in your stomach that you can't just ignore. The beasts haven't stopped closing in on you. They surround you, barely giving you a few feet of space. You sweep your eyes across the ground, counting how many feet there are. You tighten your grip on your sword, angry.

You bend down and spring into the air. The Beowolves howl and jump after you. They quickly close in, their distance varied, but still relatively close. You spin your body around, using your sword as an extension of your hand to slice the Grimm. You spin horizontal, switch to a vertical, then begin to fall back to the ground. You lock your arms and bring your sword down in front of you, slicing the last Beowolf clean in half. Your sword clangs against the ground a mere millisecond before your body gracefully lands. You hold your position as the pieces of meat fall around you like rain. You raise your body to a standing position and let out a huff. You're happy they're dead. You're happy you could slaughter the Beowolves. Pathetic creatures that only kill for sport.

Your eyes catch someone a few feet away. Her face is distorted, her hands held against her chest. She reaches out to you.

"(Y/N)! Run!" she cries out.

You feel a presence behind you. You turn around only for a Beowolf to get you. You close your eyes, grind your teeth, and mentally curse yourself for being so idiotic. For failing.

The Beowolf's claws slash down your back, yet no real damage is done. However, you can feel every inch of those claws. It's like everything has slowed down, emphasizing the cut. However, once the attack is complete, the creature fazes through you, leaving your body cold and sore. You drop to one knee, breathing heavy. You're sweating again, yet you feel cold. The butterflies act up again in your stomach and your mind is still on the fritz. You didn't expect it to end this way, but it did. You move your hand to your back, feeling your upper back. Your fingers slide across four distinct bumps on your back. It's diagonal, leading half way across your back. A scar – a reminder.

Weiss watches you with a mix of being impressed and being utterly confused. Your little show was impressive, no doubt about it. She deduces that this must be a type of mental training where you are imagining enemies around you and dealing with them accordingly. She's heard that it's a sort of training method. Her sister used to do it sometimes instead of practicing with others. At least, that's what she assumes. You weren't attacking anything, so it's the only logical explanation. However, she's confused at what you're doing. You're kneeling down, rubbing around your shoulder. Done with the secrecy, Weiss decides to approach you.

She moves out from behind the pillar and marches towards you. You start to feel someone's presence and look over toward the heiress. You quickly retract your hand from your back and stand up, facing Weiss. You throw on a cocky smile, partly attempting to annoy the white haired wonder.

"You know, I imagined you as the type of girl who's in bed early with her teddy bear," you cheekily greet.

Weiss rolls her eyes at your childish comment. She stops a foot away from you, leaning back on her hip and crossing her arms. You scan Weiss' outfit, finding the dress to be extremely different from the outfit you saw her in earlier. Her hair falls down her back and peeks out behind her waist and hips. The dress hugs her figure loosely, which still looks beautiful. There's no denying her alluring appearance.

"I would have you know that everyone else is sleeping while I remain awake."

"Then… what're you doing awake?" you inquire.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is why you're wandering around at night! You know there's a curfew, right?" Weiss, after looking at you for some time, notices you sweating. A small display like that shouldn't make you sweat. "And why are you sweating?"

You look down at yourself, realizing how much you're sweating. You didn't work yourself that hard, so it has to be something else. Something that possibly relates to your dream. Maybe it's the Beowolves, the memory, or the attack you received.

You unintentionally reach past your shoulder and hold the bumps, retreating into your own little world. Weiss raises her brow at your action. She slowly walks around to your back, but you don't notice. She stops behind you and looks at your back. Her eyes widen in shock at the sight. There's a large scar across your back. From the length and look of the scar, it appears to be from a Beowolf. It seems to be an old scar. Still, the fact that you're feeling it must mean you're uncomfortable in some way.

"Are you okay?" she asks with a concerned tone, one that rarely comes from Weiss.

You snap back into reality once you realize what Weiss is talking about. You quickly spin around to face her and stop her from looking at your back. You didn't want her to see that and curse yourself for zoning out.

"Yeah, fine. Just a little sore. Muscles are still tight from sleeping. You know how it is," you say, rubbing the back of your head with a childish smile.

"I was talking about your scar," she clarifies. You pout a bit, not wanting to really talk about that.

"Its fine, Weiss," you snap.

Weiss is taken back a bit. Your persona changed instantly from friendly to distant. She hasn't seen this from you. Wait, she has! At the park you had the same sort of change. She can understand, though.

Weiss remains silent, thinking. You can feel the air become heavy and the tensions run high. You sigh.

"I'm sorry, Weiss. I just… don't talk about it."

"No, no it's fine. I know the feeling," she says, pointing at her own scar. "At least _you_ can cover it up."

You finally notice her scar. You hadn't even seen it. Every time you looked at her, her eyes were the first thing you focused on, and still the first things you see. Well, maybe her lips too.

"Well, it doesn't look all that bad. Your eyes more than compensate for it." Weiss blushes a bit, but refuses to let you see it.

"Hm," she sneers, turning away from you.

You chuckle, knowing you got to her. Now you have another way to bother her. All you need to do is compliment her in a flirtatious manner. Most girls suffer from that, though. You can imagine what Ruby would be like if you flirted with her, being as innocent as she is. But you're not much of an actual flirt. You barely do it intentionally, and whenever it is intentional it's usually as a joke, like what you did to Weiss.

Weiss turns back to you. You have an apologetic face, but hints of sarcasm is littered around. Weiss rolls her eyes.

"You're unbearable. Can you at least answer my original question?"

"And that was?"

Weiss glares daggers at your incompetence. "What're you doing out here!?" She shouts in frustration, flailing her fists up and down.

"Sheesh, calm down. There's only two of us here," you criticize, looking around the area. "I was just having trouble sleeping, so I came out here. Nobody to bother me here, and I like the cool air of night."

"Why don't you just open a window?" she points out.

"Why don't you just open a window," you mock. Weiss stares at you, not amused. You roll your eyes. "It's not the same. Besides, I actually didn't know there was some sort of curfew. I probably wouldn't have come out if I knew. Ms. Goodwitch would somehow find me and… hit me with that cane thing, or whatever it is."

Weiss giggles a soft, cute giggle that makes you smile.

"What?" you ask, still smiling.

"Imagining of you getting hit by Ms. Goodwitch is hilarious."

Your face drops. "Oh, ha ha. That thing hurts, you know!"

"Wait, you've been hit by it already?" Weiss asks, laughter on the edge of her tongue.

"It's not funny!" you wail. "That thing stings!"

Weiss breaks out into laughter. "You're such a dunce!" she says in between laughter.

"It's not my fault that she has a grudge against me!" you retort, laughing a bit yourself.

"Well, I can see why."

You shake your head and turn away from her. She calms down after a second, still feeling the warm sensation of being amused, letting out one last sigh. You turn back to her now that she's stopped laughing at your misfortune. You never asked for Ms. Goodwitch to hit you like that. You thought you were quite charming. It probably would have worked on anyone else. Well, anyone else except Weiss. Or maybe Blake. Actually it probably wouldn't work on a lot of girls, come to think of it.

You look away from Weiss and turn your attention to the sky. The broken moon is prominent, taking the spotlight away from the surrounding stars that dot the sky. Their size pales in comparison to the moon, even in its fractured state. The rays from the moon light up the darkness, giving everything a beautiful glow. Weiss follows your eyes up to the moon. She isn't sure why you're so enticed by it, but you look far too peaceful to disturb. She saunters to your side and takes a look at the moon from your angle. She leans on her hip and gets into a comfortable position.

"You every wonder what it looks like put together?" You say.

Weiss isn't too sure whether that's a question or just a statement. Your tone is deceiving.

"There are drawings of it," Weiss mentions.

You shake your head. "Mm, no. That's not the same. It's just… I don't know. I think I'm going to head back to bed. What're you doing?" You ask, turning your upper body towards her.

"Well, if you're going back then I'll go too."

You shrug. "Alright. I'll walk with you."

"My hero," she sarcastically remarks.

You roll your eyes. "Just don't get captured, princess. I'd just watch and laugh."

With that, you and Weiss remain silent. You throw your hands in your pockets and start walking. Weiss huffs and follows suit. She moves beside you but keeps a decent distance away. You quietly chuckle at her action, genuinely finding it funny and fitting for the uptight heiress. Though, she seemed a little more relaxed a few minutes ago. Maybe you'll get to see that again one day. Or not. You're not very good with reading women, so it might be difficult. Honestly you'd probably just let her go on her own and not worry too much… but you don't exactly remember the way back to your dorm. At least Weiss can lead you to the building.

You slow down the slightest amount, giving Weiss the lead. She notices your pace change, but doesn't feel the need to say anything. She's actually happy that you aren't talking as much as you usually do. All your babbling nearly gave her a headache.

You both enter the building. Lucky for you, your room is at the end of the hall. You both continue down the hallway, keeping your eye out for teachers just in case. Weiss turns right at a diverging hall. You stop at the edge, leaning back to watch her walk. Her dress flows from side to side with each step. Her steps are so quiet and delicate. You let out a slight smirk.

"Hey Weiss!" You call out. She turns her head to look at you. "Good talking to you."

Weiss sizes you up for a minute, wondering what to say. Before she can respond – if she was going to respond – you return to normal and walk away. Weiss is left watching the end of her hallway for a moment, somewhat conflicted at what she just experienced. Not wanting to be caught outside her dorm, and knowing that she needs to sleep for tomorrow's test, she retreats to her dorm, not thinking any more about it.

Weiss reaches her room and slowly opens the door, keeping as quiet as possible. She wasn't worried about Ruby or Yang. She was worried about Blake catching her. Ruby and Yang sleep like bricks and won't be woken up. Heck, they aren't even good at waking up in the morning, save for the first day as a team. Blake, however, can be woken much easier than the others. No doubt Blake would have questions, and Weiss doesn't want to explain anything.

At the same time as Weiss enters her room, you enter yours. You toss your weapon in the same position you had it when you went to sleep the first time, take off your shoes, and then crawl back into bed. You should be able to get back to sleep with few problems now. As long as there aren't any more nightmares, you'll be fine.

You lie on your back, staring up at the ceiling, hands cupped behind your head. You don't think of anything in particular, or even stare at anything interesting. You just sort of stare. Your eyes begin to grow heavy over time, slowly closing to block out your vision.

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Today's the day. Something students of Doctor Oobleck's class have been dreading. Today is the day of the test. For some, there are no worries. Weiss, despite her being up late studying and even later with you, has complete confidence in herself. Weiss, Pyrrha, Blake, and a few other students in the class find this test to be an absolute breeze. There are a few students who take more time on a few questions, but are still doing okay. Ruby, for instance, is on the ball with this one. She took Weiss' advice to study, and she's definitely happy with that decision.

There are some students, however, that are having some trouble. Yang, unlike her younger sister, decided not to take Weiss' advice to study. She's tapping her pencil on her desk, looking around every few seconds to see how everyone is doing. It's aggravating to her that her entire team is so focused on their test, easily answering the question. Yang, however, has only answered a couple questions through the entire test. Yang quietly moans, laying on one arm as she thinks about her current question.

Jaune is another person who's suffering from a lack of studying. He's doing somewhat better than Yang, oddly enough, thanks to Cardin. All those reports, studies, and everything he forced Jaune to do eventually got stuck in Jaune's head. So he's definitely doing better than Yang… but only on those sections. He didn't study at all, so anything that he didn't learn through the daunting tasks from the past, he doesn't know. Jaune looks around and locks eyes with Yang. She raises her brow, silently asking how he's doing. Jaune's face drops, sad about not knowing anything. Yang smiles and discreetly points at herself. Jaune smirks slightly, knowing she's suffering with him.

Yang looks around the room, thinking about one person: you. She's wondering what class you have right now, what you have next, and how it's going for you so far. She can just imagine what you're doing with new people. Ren and Nora aren't in this class, so you may be with them. She smiles, almost laughing, at the thought of you having to deal with Nora. She almost wants that to be what's going on right now so she can hear that story after this horrendous class.

After some time of awkward looks, pencils on paper, and some thinking, people start handing in their tests. Weiss and Pyrrha finish at the same time and go back to their seats to wait patiently for the class to end. After a few others hand in their test, so does Ruby.

"Profe- Doctor," she corrects, making sure she's on his good side. "May I go to the library for the rest of class?" she asks, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Why, Ms. Rose, do you need to go to the library?" he exclaims.

Ruby pauses for a moment, trying to think of something that can get her out of class. "So… um… I can get… accustomed! To… the new material," she stutters.

Doctor Oobleck stares at Ruby for a moment. "That. Is. A fantastic idea, Ms. Rose! You can go immediately!" He scribbles a whole list of books down in less than a second, and hands it to Ruby. "Here are some of the texts you will need! Now go! Go!"

A little scared of the teacher, Ruby dashes out of the room. The entire class stares at her, either confused or jealous of the young huntress-in-training.

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Ruby exits the class and slows down. There are barely any students in the hall for obvious reasons. She saunters out of the building and to the courtyard, wasting the precious few minutes of freedom she has. Ruby lets out a sigh, relieved that the test is over. Ruby then notices Ms. Goodwitch walking around the school grounds, a furious look plastered on her face. She's constantly looking around, no doubt searching for something or someone. Ruby's eyes meet with Ms. Goodwitch's. The teacher instantly diverts her path towards her. Ruby trembles in her boots, thinking that she's the one Ms. Goodwitch has been hunting.

Once she arrives in front of the young girl, Ms. Goodwitch eyes her up.

"What're you doing out of class?" she questions, anger evident in her voice.

"I… uh… I mean I was let out. By the teacher! He… let me out. Yeah," Ruby stutters, scared of the towering presence before her. Ms. Goodwitch is about to say something else, but something saves Ruby. Her scroll beeps, signaling her next class. She takes out her scroll and checks it. She cringes, knowing she can no longer continue her search, and turns her attention back to Ruby.

"I expect to see you next class?"

Ruby nods. She knows next class is training with Ms. Goodwitch. Though the reason her teacher is so distraught still interests her. She's never seen her so mad before, and she feels bad for whoever, or whatever, got her so angry.

With less than five minutes left until class starts, Ruby decides to just take it easy and go there. She casually strolls through the grounds of the Academy, heading towards the sparring room. Students start shuffling out of their classes, talking to friends about a variety of different topics. Ruby purposely takes a route that passes by her previous class so she can walk with her team.

Weiss and Blake are standing outside the classroom. Ruby can gather that they're probably waiting for Yang, which means she had even more trouble on the test than Ruby originally thought. Blake's the one to notice Ruby and gives a one-handed wave. Weiss notices Blake's action and follows her eyes.

"There you are. You didn't even wait out here for us?" she remarks.

"I came back! So, where's Yang?" Ruby asks, though she already has a good guess.

"She… didn't do too well on the test. She was writing till the last second. She should be out any second," Blake explains.

Seconds later Yang marches out of the room. She sees her team and calms down a bit. "Hey guys? Next class? I could use a fight," she smiles.

"I suppose it is best to get going," Weiss comments.

Ruby nods. "Yeah, especially with Ms. Goodwitch being all mad. Scary stuff," Ruby says.

"She's mad? At what?" Blake inquires as the four begin making their way to the training room.

"I have no idea. She rushed off before I could ask. I kinda think she wouldn't tell me, anyway."

"Hm… hey, has anyone seen (Y/N) today?" Yang wonders, her cheeriness back in full swing.

"I haven't. He likely has a different first class," Weiss deducts.

"We don't know any of his classes. We can ask him during lunch," Blake suggests.

The group have no problem with that plan. All of them have different levels of intrigue as to how your first day has gone so far, but now's not the time to be distracted by thoughts of you, even if Yang doesn't mind your image in her brain. The four girls walk through the school until they reach the training room. Ms. Goodwitch is already there, along with a few other students getting ready.

Weiss, Blake, and Ruby grab their gear from their lockers while Yang just changes her clothes. She usually has Ember Celica at all times, where her teammates tend not to bring their weapons everywhere they go. The girls free themselves from the school uniforms and fit comfortably in their usual clothes. Once in class, they take a seat near team JNPR.

"Hey Nora! Hey Ren!" Ruby waves, smiling.

"Heeeey!" Nora enthusiastically waves back.

"Greetings Ruby. How are you doing?" Ren politely asks.

"Good. Hey, did you see (Y/N) this morning? Was he in your class?"

Nora bobs up and down while Ren thinks, raising his hand to his chin. "Hm… not that I can remember. No, he wasn't with us."

Ruby's faced drops a little. She's perplexed. Where could you be?

"Alright students," Glynda starts, gathering everyone's attention. "We're going to begin right away. Ms. Schnee and Mr. Arc will start."

Jaune looks over at Weiss and gives her a smirk. "Why would we fight? I mean, we could go see a movie? Maybe some dinner?" he offers, wiggling his brows.

Weiss smiles. "I'll be happy to spar with you, Jaune. Let's go," she says in a polite manner. Ruby groans. She knows Weiss is happy to be practicing with Jaune. She wants to hit him and Ruby has no way of helping poor Jaune from Weiss' infinite fury.

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There's no doubt that the training has been magnificent today. Class is almost over, and there have been some impressive fights. Weiss dominated Jaune, knocking him all over the battlefield. It was just what Weiss needed, even if it was at Jaune's expense. Ren and Nora faced some other students, and even Ruby had a session. During the fights, Blake noticed Ms. Goodwitch getting more and more aggravated. It seemed that she was checking the time every few minutes, and every time she did she would get angrier. Blake had no idea why this was. Maybe she had some urgent business. Maybe she was expecting something. These are just shots in the dark, though.

"Well, students, we might have time for one more match. Does anyone want to…"

Glynda's voice trails off as she stares at the entrance. Her teeth clench and grind together, her eyes sharpen, and her stance changes. The whole class looks over to the door, wondering what could be effecting the teacher in such a manner. Within seconds they see it – you.

You saunter into the class, hair a little messy, clothes not on right, rubbing your eyes, and letting out a huge yawn. You move your hands away from your face and shake your head, trying to gain your bearings in the oddly bright room.

"Mr. Slater, how… pleasant it is that you join us. Though you're late. Late to both your classes, actually," she scolds, her voice colder than the night in the dead of winter.

Still half asleep, you aren't fully aware of Ms. Goodwitch's anger. Hell, it's a miracle you're awake at all. If it wasn't for Professor Ozpin then you would have never gotten up. Thankfully, he wasn't mad at all about you sleeping in, but did force you out of bed. It's difficult for you to wake up this early. Eight in the morning is nuts! You've never really had to go to school like this before. Yes, you've been trained at other schools but not like a student. You always laughed at the people who had to wake up early while you were able to sleep in. Jokes on you now.

"You know… I'm really sorry, Ms. Goodwitch. I just… it's so early," you complain, your voice slurring a bit from drowsiness. Small bits of laughter erupt from the class. Weiss facepalms, Yang giggles, Ruby watches with concern, and Blake doesn't really care too much.

Your drowsiness has actually kept you from breaking down in front of Ms. Goodwitch like you normally do, which is slightly surprising for her. She was almost looking forward to you crumbling. There's an odd satisfaction in it, and, whether it be good or not, it reminds her of Jet.

"Well, you're now attending one of the most prestigious academies in Remnant. I don't care if you aren't used school. _Get_ used to it," she barks.

You nod, rubbing your eyes. "I… will get to it. Yeah. So… where am I right now?" you ask innocently. The class erupts in laughter. Glynda really wants to take you down, but there's a genuine tone in your voice. Glynda sighs.

"You're in the training room," she says with annoyance.

Your eyes perk up. "Fights?"

Glynda rolls her eyes.

 _He's almost a copy of his father._

"Yes, and you've missed all of them. However, due to missing the class, you'll be going first tomorrow. Now," she says, raising her scroll up and looking down at it. "Let's see who you should do battle with."

"I'll fight him," a calm voice pipes up along with a raised hand. The entire class, including Ms. Goodwitch, look toward the source. Everyone's eyes focus on Pyrrha Nikos. She is sitting confidently, looking down at her teacher.

"You want to fight him?" Glynda asks, a little surprised. Pyrrha nods. Glynda looks at you for confirmation. You shrug, not really caring who you do battle with. Glynda sighs. "Very well then. (Y/N) and Ms. Nikos will start off the day tomorrow. Class dismissed."

The very second she says that the period ends. How she got the timing so perfectly is far beyond you, especially when you're still drowsy. You rub your eyes one before time and open your eyes as wide as you can, really trying to wake yourself up. Team RWBY and JNPR come down and greet you as they pass. They need to get changed into their school uniforms again, but luckily there's no rush. Lunch is next, so there's no worry of an angry teacher, but they would like to have as much time to talk as possible.

You give a wave to the two teams as they pass. You can tell by their faces that they have things to talk about, but you'll hear it later. Besides, you really want to talk to Pyrrha now to ask why she wants to fight you. You can't help but be a little excited though. You've heard she's one of the best at the school, which means testing your skills against her would see where you land in the strength pyramid of this school.

Once the class either leaves or enters the changing room, Ms. Goodwitch approaches you.

"I expect that there won't be any more tardiness from you?" she says, more like a statement than a question.

Now far more awake than you were when you first entered, you respond, "I'll try, promise. It's just different. But it'll be like a challenge, right? Trying to adapt to a new situation? I'll take on the challenge and try to avoid any tardiness," you reassure her.

Glynda smiles for a moment, but quickly returns to normal.

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 _It's been a week of school, and Glynda's been loving it so far. She's picking up everything that the professors are saying with ease, and is no doubt the best in the class. However, her academic success greatly differs from her social success. While not shy, or even hateful towards the other students, Glynda finds no reason to really converse with anyone. She's had a few small conversation with classmates in the halls and, of course, Jet Slater. Of all the people he could talk to and he decides to constantly annoy_ _her_ _._

 _He's done far better in the social department than she has. He has tons of friends and people are already spreading rumors or just talking about him. She doesn't see what the big deal about him is. Well… she doesn't WANT to see what the big deal about him is. To be fair, he was quite charming the first time she encountered him. They'd walked to class together, talked, and even ate lunch together that day. They haven't done much more than small talk in the days after, but she doesn't care… right?_

 _Glynda sits patiently in the front row of the class, looking over what the professor wrote on the board. A ton of information on the Grimm today. Glynda had already done her own studies, so most of the information presented isn't new. But, instead of a quiet class, it's interrupted by none other than Jet Slater._

 _He barges into class, panting. He looks at the professor and waves._

 _"Hey! Sorry I'm late. Slept through my alarm and then I couldn't find my pants which was a huge problem. I mean, I'm not allowed to come to class without pants, am I? Am I?" he finishes, seriously asking it with a hint of innocence._

 _Some of the class start giggling. Glynda remains straight faced._

 _"No, Mr. Slater, you need to come to class with pants_ _on._ _Now please, sit down."_

 _Slater walks down the stairs and confronts the professor. He extends his leg forward and his arms flow to the side like they're wings. "My apologies, Professor. I'll do my best to avoid any tardiness. Please accept my humblest of humble apologies."_

 _The professor rolls his eyes. "Very well, Jet, just don't do it again."_

 _Jet raises himself to a normal stance and winks at the Professor. "You got it."_

 _Jet spins around and looks for a place to sit. His eyes instantly lock onto Glynda, who is sitting alone. He moves in beside her and takes a seat. He leans on his elbows and looks over at Glynda. She's trying her best not to look at him; finding anything in her notes that she can use as a distraction._

 _"Did I do something wrong?" Jet asks. Glynda slowly turns to him, brow raised. "You're intentionally not looking at me. I know for a fact that you know everything about Beowolves through and through. If I know it, then you know it."_

 _"Well… I just… You're a distraction. That's it," she finishes, regaining her composure half way._

 _"Then I must have found the right person to sit with, cause it seems you need a distraction," he smirks._

 _"Please, I don't need you for that."_

 _"Not for that? Well, what do you need me for?" He victoriously smiles. Glynda's face turns red instantly. She frantically looks for something else to occupy her mind. Jet snickers, proud of himself. "How about this Glynda? Why don't we go out tonight? I'll buy you dinner?"_

 _Glynda snaps her neck towards him, her face is somehow even redder than before._

 _"What? Go out? Like a date?" she repeats, though a little too loud. The class and professor are all staring at her and Jet. Jet doesn't care, as he's still looking at Glynda, raising his brows and waiting for her answer. She can already hear people whispering about her and Jet going on a date. Glynda sighs at her stupid action._

 _"Hey, forget them. It's not a date, don't worry," Jet smiles, lightly resting his hand on her shoulder. She looks back at him. "I just think you should get out. You've been nonstop studying all week."_

 _"How would you know that?" she asks, genuinely curious._

 _"I see around all the time. At lunch you're studying. After school you're studying. You need a break, and I'd be honored if I could be your distraction." Glynda and Jet lock eyes for a moment. You can barely hear their breathing. A smile slowly creeps itself upon Glynda's face, which is evidently contagious because Jet adopts one too._

 _"Alright Jet. You can be my distraction."_

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Glynda asserts herself as a teacher once more, not letting you see any sort of weakness in the nostalgia she has for you and your father.

"See to it that you don't. If I hear you didn't make it to first class tomorrow then I'll come to your room and wake you up myself," she threatens.

You smile, trying to cover the terrifying thought of Ms. Goodwitch waking you up. You hope she's just joking, but from what you know of the blonde teacher it's very unlikely that she is. You can just imagine her hitting you with her stick, or tossing you around the room. Would she dress you herself? Well, it's not like you sleep naked, or even just in underwear. Though now you never want to, for the day that you do is surely the day Ms. Goodwitch comes to wake you up.

You rub the back of your head, nervously laughing. "Yeah, that'd be… I'd rather avoid that as much as possible."

Glynda chuckles. "As would I."

"Is that a laugh coming from you?" you slyly accuse. Her demeanor changes instantly, shooting daggers at you with her eyes. You back off, arms in the air. "Alright, alright. Never mind. I said nothing. Keep the stick thing down and away from me."

Lucky for you, students begin exiting the change room. Team RWBY and JNPR leave together, and you quickly hide yourself amongst them, to their confusion.

"Oh, and (Y/N)," she calls out. Your whole group stops and looks towards her. "Remember to wear your uniform. I put it there myself, so I know you have it."

You sigh. "Yes, Ms. Goodwitch."

You and the two teams leave the building and exit to the outdoors. A cool breeze sweeps through the area, giving you a much needed cool down after the tense encounter with Glynda. Every time you see her she knows you've done something wrong, even if you don't know you've done something wrong. But, and you've noticed this a few times now, she sometimes looks at you in an odd way. It's not just looking at you because you're in a conversation, and it's not looking at you because she's mad. It's like… you can't even put your finger on it.

"Hey," a voice calls, clapping their hands in front of your face.

You snap back into reality, seeing a face that you recognize. "Jaune? Hey, hey! Jaune Arc," you say his name in a smooth tone, similar to how he said it the first time you met. "How did you… where did you come from?" you ask, puzzled.

"Ha, I've been here the whole time. This is my team," he says, pointing at Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, who are walking alongside team RWBY, a few steps ahead.

"Oh? Really? That's funny, I met your entire team without knowing it." You snicker.

"Heh, yeah. So what's wrong? You slowed down and totally zoned out."

You debate with yourself whether to tell Jaune about the small detail you noticed with Glynda. You don't really have any actual evidence, and you it's possible you're just seeing things since she's always on your case about everything.

"Ah." You shrug your shoulders. "It's nothing. Hey, do you mind coming with me to my dorm? I should change before Ms. Goodwitch sees me and I don't know where everyone else is going."

"Well," Jaune starts, looking around, "it's lunch, so we're all going to the cafeteria." You stare at him, blankly. "You… don't know where that is, do you?"

You shake your head, smiling as if it's a joke. "Not a clue."

"Well, it would be rude of me not to help you," he says in a chipper manner. "Alright, let's hurry. I'm pretty hungry."

You want to get moving too. You have a question that you'd like answered too, and you'll only get it if you follow Jaune.

 **And that's it everyone! Hopefully you're all enjoying the story. Can I just say, and to totally dare this chapter, that the latest episodes of RWBY have been super intense. So excited to get to Volume 3, though I won't rush through anything. I have a bunch planned before I get there. I really appreciate all the feedback I've been getting. I'm super excited to be in this fandom now, and I've got even more stories planned.**

 **If you take a look at my bio, you'll notice that I have more RWBY stories planned. Each story has a different pairing, so those who wanted a Weiss, Blake, and Yang romance written by me, then I guess you're getting it at some point. You can check out the summaries in my bio, if you're interested.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for reading. I'm looking forward to any feedback I get. See you in the next chapter.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	5. Chapter 5: Roses Help the Lonely

**Chapter 5: Roses Help the Lonely**

You and Jaune break off from the group and head to the dorms. Pyrrha notices you and Jaune going in another direction, but doesn't act on it. She assumes that you'll both meet up with them soon. Thankfully you're starting to really get a feel for Beacon's grounds - at least in small portions. If you were dropped in the middle of a part of the academy that you didn't know, well, you'd be stranded. Thankfully you've made a few friends, or, at the least, acquaintances.

Jaune looks over at you as you day dream. "So… you really know how to push Ms. Goodwitch's buttons," he comments.

You snap back into reality and look at him. After a moment of staring at him you register what he said. You rub the back of your head and laugh. "Yeah, I suppose I do." You lower your hand and return to a normal posture. "I have no idea why though. It just seems she always catches me at my worst. Last night she caught Ruby in my dorm. Man, I thought I was dead."

Jaune turns his whole body to you suddenly, a shocked look splattered on his face. "What? Why was she in your room?" Jaune asks, raising his voice in confusion.

You look over at him casually. "What's the problem? You have a dorm with two girls, do you not?" you redirect. "So what's the problem?"

"You weren't… like… doing anything… were you?"

"Nah." You lazily wave your hand towards him. "I was just eating her cookies," you end with a snicker.

Jaune stops dead in his tracks, absolutely perplexed. You open the door and enter, oblivious to the fact that Jaune's no longer walking with you. That only lasts for a few seconds though. You turn around, looking for Jaune.

"Jaune? Where'd ya go, buddy?"

You backtrack to outside, instantly finding Jaune outside the door. You laugh, knowing why he's like this. You meant to make a small joke, but you didn't think he'd take it so seriously. To regain his attention, you tap his back.

"Come on, Jaune. You're hungry, remember?" You smile.

Jaune shakes his head.

"Why… would you say that?"

You laugh again. "For that exact expression. Come on, it's not as bad as you think."

You and Jaune both enter the building this time.

"She was feeling bad about our fight, so she brought over some cookies. Her favourite ones, apparently. We just ate them and talked. But of course, Glynda had to show up and get the wrong idea," you throw your hands in the air, a hint of annoyance in your voice.

"You're lucky it wasn't Yang. Who knows what she would do to you." Jaune chuckles, thinking of her notorious temper. "I'd say you were lucky to be walked in on by Ms. Goodwitch."

"Ha," you laugh, amused Jaune's statement.

"Okay, how about you're lucky it was Ms. Goodwitch who caught you with Ruby," Jaune chuckles.

You nod. "Yeah, that sounds better. But I still don't see what the big deal is."

"Well, she is younger than the rest of us," Jaune brings up.

You look at him questioningly.

"Wait, really? How old is she?"

"15. Did you not know?" He asks, truly surprised that you didn't know.

You look away from Jaune, contemplating his words.

"No… I didn't. I mean, I noticed she looked a little younger but… I just thought her natural look was young."

"Well, there are plenty other girls in the school that would be a little… safer, to try and date," Jaune recommends.

You throw your hands in the air.

"Who said I was trying to date her?" you shout, loud enough that the students in their dorms can hear you, though none of them actually take a peek in the hall.

Jaune laughs at your reaction. It's a little pay back for earlier. Admittedly he's having a lot of fun with you. He's not the most sociable as of late, only really talking to his team and team RWBY. Even then, Ruby's the only girl in her team that he REALLY talks too. His attempts to talk with Weiss are always shot down in seconds, Blake doesn't really talk at all, and Yang… well he just doesn't get into many conversations with her. So being able to talk so easily with a new student is refreshing. Like his mom says, "strangers are just friends you haven't met yet". He's glad he's met a new friend. Especially a guy. Of course there's always Ren, but there's never anything to talk about with him. Plus, you're someone he can bug a bit.

"You got to try with girls your own age, like I do," Jaune continues, taking a more confident stance.

You raise your brow.

"Like you do? Do girls just fall to your feet when you whisper 'Jaune Arc' in their ear?" You chuckle.

Jaune puffs chest out and puts his hands on his sides, standing proud. Once he thinks about his record at the school, he quickly sinks.

"No, they usually don't. B-but that doesn't matter. There's only one girl I'm trying to impress," he admits.

You both reach your room. You open it up, but keep your eyes on Jaune.

"Oh? And who's the lucky girl?"

"Weiss Schnee," he says with a hint of longing.

You burst out laughing, making Jaune frown at you. You turn away from him, shaking your head. You walk towards your bed where a uniform is laid out in a neat manner. A small note is placed on top of the jacket.

 _(Y/N),_

 _I've laid out these clothes for you. The rest is already in your drawers, organized. Please remember to wear these EVERY DAY. I don't want to hear of you not wearing them during classes._

 _Ms. Goodwitch_

You laugh nervously, not wanting to upset the teacher. You look back at Jaune, who's examining your room. You toss your sword on the bed and start changing. Taking off your jacket and shirt, you replace them with your new uniform. You turn to Jaune, who's now looking at you. Thankfully he didn't notice your scar.

"Wanna… turn around? Unless you don't mind seeing me in my boxers?"

Jaune turns around, raising his hands in defeat.

"I'm fine, I'll just wait outside," he decides, leaving the room.

You shrug, not necessarily caring whether he stayed or not. You slip out of your jeans and into the uniform. Of course, you finish with the shoes. The uniform is very similar to a suit… which you aren't fond of. Too tight and constricting. You try to stretch a bit but the clothes are restricting you.

You sigh at the inconvenience. But really, what's worse? The uncomfortable clothes or Ms. Goodwitch's wrath? Yeah, you'd rather wear the clothes. You keep your glove on, however, but leave the belt. You don't seem to need your blade at the moment and, if you did, you can call it with the glove. You quickly stroll to your window and open it up so, if you need it, Crimson Blaze doesn't break through the window. With all of that out of the way, it's time to re-group with everyone.

You leave your room and look around. Jaune is patiently waiting a few steps away. He looks over at you the moment you exit your room.

"You ready?" he politely asks.

You nod. "Yeah, let's go."

The two of you start walking with Jaune in the lead.

"So, you mentioned Weiss, right? Same one that I fought? Mostly white?"

Jaune nods. "Yep, that's the one. A perfect Snow Angel," he coos.

"Snow Angel?" you question, almost laughing. "Sheesh, did you tell her that one?"

Jaune nods. "Yeah, I did. Why? Is it bad?"

You shake your head. "No way, that's actually pretty clever. I couldn't have come up with something like that. Did you pre-plan that or something?"

You and Jaune reach the door to the outside. He pushes open the door and holds it open for you.

"No, just made it up on the spot."

You walk past Jaune.

"Thanks," you nod. Jaune follows you once you pass him. "Takes some courage to do that. Gotta say, I'm impressed."

"Well, it's like my dad said: all women look for is confidence," he says in a chipper manner.

"Mm… that's a good motto to live by. Hey, changing the subject really quick, you're on a team with Pyrrha, correct?" you inquire.

"Yep. Why?" he asks, looking over at you.

You look back at him.

"Well… do you have any idea why she wants to fight me?"

Jaune ponders this for a moment. He hasn't really thought about it himself, mostly because you've been distracting him. He can't deny that it's a good question. Pyrrha's a pretty humble person who doesn't go around picking fights. He was surprised when she volunteered to fight you, especially after hearing that you fought team RWBY.

"Hm… I'm not sure. Maybe… maybe she wants to test herself?"

"Test herself? Against me?" you ask, still confused. Jaune shrugs.

"I don't know, I'm just guessing here. But, well you're a little infamous right now. Your fight with RWBY is spreading like wildfire around here. I even heard some students talk about it while you were changing."

You roll your eyes and cross your arms.

"Great," you sarcastically remark. "Cause that's exactly what I wanted. Well, whatever… I won't be here long," you whisper the last bit.

"Hm?" Jaune hums, not quiet hearing what you said.

You look over to him with a warm smile in order to deflect any doubt.

"Oh, nothing. Let's get going, I'm kind of hungry too. Hey, does the school have steak?"

"Um… no."

You pout. "Well, seems I have to pay Ozpin a visit later today," you say aloud.

"Why?" Jaune asks, puzzled.

"He owes me a steak."

Not questioning it as the two of you traverse the grounds, making small talk along the way. Mostly Jaune pointing out places of interest for your convenience. Landmarks will help while navigating the place. Of course, some of them are quite interesting while some are dull. You don't get to see every single landmark on your way to the cafeteria, and honestly, you don't feel as if it's a great loss.

You and Jaune finally reach the cafeteria. It's a decent sized building with windows all along the sides. You can see a variety of students, humans and Faunus alike, sitting at the plethora of tables. All of them are talking and eating lunch. A certain table catches your eye, solely based on a certain woman's white, off-centered ponytail. As you continue to walk, and your line of sight changes, you see all of team RWBY along with Jaune's team. Looks like you'll get to sit with everyone you know.

Jaune leads the way inside the cafeteria. You follow suite and immediately you can feel eyes on you. Though the socializing and noise continues on, a good portion of the students look over at you. Of course they would. You're the new student. But if what Jaune was saying is true, then they may be sizing you up, seeing if you're as tough as they heard. Well, you aren't looking too intimidating in the uniform. You look down at your clothes and sigh. You shake your head, ignoring the overwhelming feeling of being watched, and follow Jaune.

Ruby is the first to notice you two. She waves at you both, smiling excitedly. The rest of the table notices you both and welcomes you with smiles. Jaune sits in the open seat beside Pyrrha. Ruby scooches over a bit to make room for you. Seeing as she went through all the effort, you take the spot beside Ruby.

"Hey (Y/N)! How's your first day going?" Ruby asks.

She's definitely a lot happier than when you talked to her yesterday. Seems like she's finally forgiven herself.

"Oh, you know. Fine, I suppose. I haven't actually gone to a class yet so I have yet to really experience the full school effect."

"You should be taking school more seriously. Not everyone gets in to Beacon, you know," Weiss scolds.

"Oh, lay off him, Weiss," Yang cuts in, defending you. "It's not like he's being completely lazy, right?"

You look over at Yang, staring into her lilac eyes. You have no idea why she has faith in you, but… well you should just agree with her.

"Yeah, not completely," you say, nodding at Yang. You then turn to Weiss. "I'm just not used to the schedule. Plus, I got class with…" You think for a moment. "Hm… Professor… Port? I think. I'm definitely going to that class."

You turn your attention to Pyyrha, who is looking at you attentively. She almost seems to be analyzing you. You give her a light wave.

"Pyyrha, how's it going?"

She warmly smiles.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. I'm looking forward to our battle tomorrow."

Most of the group has gone back to their own conversations. Nora is telling a story to Ren, Yang, and Weiss. Blake is reading her book, secretly listening to anything she deems interesting. Jaune and Ruby are keeping their focus and you and Pyrrha.

"Speaking of that, can I ask you why you want to fight me?"

Pyrrha responds without a second delay, showing that she has an answer ready.

"Well, I just think we can push each other. You sound skilled, from what I've heard, and I'm interested to see how we fare against one another."

You smile, getting a bit excited at her answer.

Unknown to you, Ms. Goodwitch is watching over the cafeteria, just in case. The moment you and Jaune entered the building. Glynda can't help but find a sense of comfort in you finding people to be with. She knows what it's like to not have anyone to talk with. Seems both you and her were helped in that regard.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Glynda calmly sits in the cafeteria. Nobody is sitting at her table, not that she really cares. She's focusing on some school work she has to do. It's easy to block out all the noise and ridiculousness that other students. Unfortunately, there's one person who she can never seem to ignore._

" _Glynda!" a voice calls out._

 _Before she can even react, someone slides beside her, looking down at what she's doing and then at her._

" _Jet? What would you like?"_

" _Oh, nothing. I just saw you sitting alone and thought I'd come over. Would be mean to let my date sit alone."_

 _Glynda's cheeks redden instantly. She attempts to compose herself before looking towards him. She doesn't want to give him any satisfaction._

" _I am not your_ ** _date_** _, Jet. I'm just going out to dinner with you. You even said it yourself."_

 _Jet chuckles._ " _I know. You just look cute when you're flustered."_

 _Glynda blushes a bit more, looking away. She can't deal with him at all. He always finds a way to make her flustered, blushing, and speechless. But, in some ways, she kind of likes it. No! She doesn't. He's just a distraction. A distraction that she actually enjoys listening to- What is she thinking?_

" _So, is there any place you wanted to go? It's my treat."_

 _Glynda huffs._ " _Jet… I don't know. You choose. You probably know the city more than I do."_

" _Hm, so you really want this to be in date format, huh? But of course, it's not a date," he smiles, raising his hands as if he's surrendering._

 _Glynda rolls her eyes._

" _So tonight then?"_

 _Jet nods._

" _Of course. I'll drop by your dorm."_

" _Jet!" Another man shouts._

 _Both Jet and Glynda look towards the source of the voice. They see another man walking towards them. He's wearing black, leather pants that seem to loosely hug his legs. The material is shining in the sun, revealing some of the designs on it. Of course he has black shoes to compliment the pants. He covers his chest with a green turtle neck that goes up his neck, covering it comfortably. He finishes off with a black suit jacket that has two split tails at the legs. His eyes are covered by a pair of sunglasses, which sit pleasantly on his face. He has hair similar to Jet, though his slicked back hair is neater, compared to Jet. In fact, his facial structure is very similar to Jet, from his nose, jaw, ears, and general facial structure. Though his eyes can't be judged, since he has glasses on. His weapon is in sight, similar to Jet. He has a sabre, nicely sitting beside his hip._

 _Jet smiles, giving him a single wave._

" _Harrier! What'd you need?"_

" _Nothing. I was just curious why you ran away from me in such a rush. But now," he looks towards Glynda. "I see why," he finishes with a wink._

 _Glynda rolls her eyes at his comment._

" _Well, I have to finish my work. I'll be in my room. See you tonight, Jet."_

 _Glynda regally stands up and starts walking away. Jet looks towards Harrier with an exhausted expression._

" _Really? You had to ruin it?"_

 _Harrier sighs._

" _You say that every time I approach you."_

 _Jet flashes a smile. He stands up and passes by Harrier, patting his shoulder._

" _It's my job to bug you, big brother. You guys can eat without me, I'm catching up with Glynda."_

 _Jet slips by Harrier and leaves the building. Harrier turns around and watches his brother leave. He sighs._

" _Leaving me behind again, huh little brother."_

 _Jet exits the cafeteria and looks around. He sees Glynda walking towards the dorms. Jet sprints towards her, not wanting to lose her. He catches up to her before Glynda can reach the building. She's admittedly surprised to see him already, and that's obvious from her facial expression._

" _Jet? I thought-"_

" _Harrier has friends to talk to, don't worry. You, on the other hand, could use my company."_

 _Glynda smiles._

" _Well…" She looks down at her school work. "If you're going to come with me, you better be ready to study with me."_

 _Jet's eyes drop. That's not his idea of a fun time. But… for some reason, he just sort of wants to spend time with Glynda. Jet places his hands on his sides and shrugs._

" _Well, I suppose I could offer my superior advice for you."_

 _Glynda giggles._

" _I'm sure you're input is invaluable," she assures, though sarcasm us evident in her voice,_

" _Is that a joke? From you? See, you're coming out your shell already. Heck, I'll drag you out of that shell if I need to."_

" _Well, I applaud your determination, Mr. Slater. Let's see how you do."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pyrrha looks around at the other students. She leans in a bit, twitching her head towards her. Catching her hint, you lean into her. She moves closer to your ear.

"I also know the name, Slater."

Your eyes widen at her words. You back away and stare her in the eyes. She has almost a confident persona surrounding her.

"How do you…"

Pyrrha gets out of her seat and stands at the head of the table.

"Come with me, I'll show you something."

"What're you talking about? What'd you say?" Jaune questions.

You get out of your seat as well and stand with her.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Jaune. We'll be back in a few minutes," Pyrrha reassures.

Ruby and Jaune watch as Pyyrha leads you out of the cafeteria. Ruby looks away with a downcast face. Oddly enough, Weiss is the only one to notice.

"What's with you?" She asks in an unintentionally callus manner.

"Hm?" Ruby perks up, looking over at Weiss. "Oh, nothing. Just kinda wanted to talk to (Y/N)."

Weiss takes a peak at you as you leave.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be back. But you shouldn't worry about it. He's not the best to talk to."

Ruby raises her brow.

"How would you know?"

Weiss immediately catches what she's insinuating. She quickly puts on her usual persona and looks away.

"I-I don't know. It's just my intuition."

"Liar," Ruby teases. "You know something I don't."

"Please, I know a lot of things you don't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You and Pyrrha leave the cafeteria and start walking across the grounds.

"So… you want to fight me because I'm a Slater?" you inquire.

"No, no, of course not. It's exactly what I said before, I just want to test myself against you. But, it's interesting to meet the son of someone I've seen in a history book."

"History book?" you repeat, brow raised. "My dad can't be that famous."

Pyrrha doesn't respond. She seems too focused on where you're going. It seems to take a bit of time. At least two minutes, which feels longer since all you're doing is following the Spartan around. Finally, after walking to the back edge of Beacon, Pyrrha stops. You take a quick look around. There are half a dozen statues of what looks to be Huntsmen. Famous ones, you assume, as they wouldn't have stone carvings of them if they didn't. Pyrrha leads you to one near the middle. It's a statue of two men standing back to back, pointing their swords at something ahead of them.

They seem to look similar. Of course it's hard to tell as it's all made of stone. One has a longer coat that is only tied at the top, and is holding a katana. The other seems to be wearing a turtle neck and suitish coat, holding what looks to be a sabre. You glance over at Pyrrha, who's looking back at you.

"Recognize it?" She asks, almost excitedly.

You shift your gaze back to the statue, trying to take in what she's trying to show you.

"It's… well… I know it's made of stone?" You respond, though it's more a guess

Pyrrha shakes her head.

"No. It's your father! Can't you recognize your own father?"

You can't deny that her question hurts a little. You really can't recognize your dad, even if you tried. Not that this stone representation of him provides enough detail to jog what little memory you have of him. Hell, their faces and hair look practically identical. The other one could be your dad, for all you know.

"I sometimes come out here to pay my respects to those who came before me," Pyrrha states, staring at the statues. "I pay my respects… and also challenge them. All these people are here because they were great. They were skilled, and saved people. I don't necessarily care about the statue, but, I hope to become better than those who came before me."

"That is what each generation wants, is it not?" you pipe up, looking at the statue of your father. Pyrrha looks over at you, happy you're contributing to the conversation. "They want the next to be even better than they were. Guess that's a bit of pressure, huh?" You innocently smile at her.

"It's only pressuring to those who let it. I'm someone who it gets to… and I think it gets to you too," she suggests.

You change from a smile to a questioning look. Pyrrha smiles at you.

"It's just a guess."

"Yeah… who knows? It's, ah, interesting to know that my dad is here…"

 _Almost makes me sad I won't be staying for long._

"I'm happy to help. It might help you warm up to Beacon even faster."

"Yeah…" you respond, not entirely paying attention.

"Well, we should return to our friends. Wouldn't want to worry them."

You shrug. "They're more your friends than mine, but I suppose."

You and Pyrrha get side-by-side and start walking back to the cafeteria.

"They can be your friends too, you know?" she says.

From afar, Ozpin watches you both walk away. He takes a sip of his coffee, then proceeds to walk. He approaches the statue of your father.

"Seems he can't recognize his father or his uncle. That might be… problematic in the future."

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Lunch went by rather smoothly after that. You didn't talk too much, unless you were directly asked a question. You were mostly trying to get a feel for who these new "friends" of yours were. From what you can collect, they're all good people, and they're really trying to welcome you here. Ruby, oddly enough, stayed quieter than you thought she would. But that may be because Nora kept telling stories and Ruby was too interested in them. Yang made up for the talking, however, which was nice. You're used to loud, energetic friends.

But, with all the talking, lunch went by in a flash. Your next, and first, class is with Professor Port. Most of Team JNPR doesn't have this class with you. But thankfully the entirety of Team RWBY, and Jaune, does. They lead you to the class, with Weiss making sure you remember how to get there. The rest of the team stays quiet as she hammers the knowledge into your head. But, alas, you finally make it into the class. There are information about the different types of Grimm written across the board in the middle. On the left side of the room is a cage that seems very secure. You can only imagine what's being held in there.

 _Maybe bad students are locked in there? Ah, man, I've spent too much time around Atlas punishment. Actually, I think whatshername did that to me once while I was there. Hm… who was she again… whatever._

Besides the cage, a desk in the middle of the room, close to the board, along with, what you assume to be, the teacher. If there's one thing you'll say, it's that he's got some interesting facial hair.

"Alright class, take your seats!" He shouts over the crowd, a very booming voice to back it up.

You sit with Team RWBY, sitting beside Blake. Everyone lays their books down and prepares for class. Oddly enough, you notice Blake open her book up.

"What're you doing?" you inquisitively ask.

Blake looks over at you.

"I'm preparing myself. You'll see."

You stare at her for a second until she looks away from you. You shrug, returning your attention to the front. Blake doesn't seem like the kind of girl who wouldn't pay attention to the lesson, which only makes you more interested in why she's prepared to avoid paying attention.

You notice the teacher is scanning the room for some reason. He starts from the other side, and slowly looks to your side. You two lock eyes, staring at each other for a second. He smiles, making his beard move, then points to you.

"You, young one, yes you! You're the new Huntsman-in-training! I heard about you!"

You awkwardly wave, not really knowing how to respond.

"Yeah… I guess."

"Come down here, child."

You look over at your new friends, wanting their opinion. Yang seems to be laughing, Ruby's giving you a thumbs up, Weiss is simply sitting there, and Blake's just watching you. You sigh, knowing you have to go. You get out of your seat and walk down to the teacher.

"What do you need from me?" you ask.

"I want to see your resolve. Your skill!" he shouts, lifting his arm and clenching his fist. "You are a Huntsman, you say? Then prove it now!"

Professor Port walks away, leaving you dumbfounded. How are you supposed to-

 _CLANG_

You hear the breaking of metal, and your attention instantly turns to it. You see Port, with what appears to be his weapon, and a broken cage door. Slowly, you see red eyes start to creep out of the cage.

 _A Grimm? Here? Is this even allowed!?_

You move one foot behind the other, bracing yourself for whatever might be coming at you. A claw breaks out of the darkness and grabs the end of the cage. Slowly, menacingly, a Beowolf emerges from the cage. Its blood red eyes focus on you. Your body tenses up, your eyes widen. A bottomless pit forms in your stomach, making it churn.

"What's with him? He completely changed." Blake points out.

"Yeah, I saw it too," Ruby adds.

Little by little, your hand reaches around to your shoulder. You lightly rest your hand on it, thinking to the past. Weiss picks up on what's happening instantly. It's the same spot where she saw your scar. Adding that to the fact that you seem to be tense around the Beowolf, she can concur that you have some sort of grudge, or history, with that Grimm. What it was, however, is beyond her. She wants to bring it up to her teammates, but she remembers how defensive you were when she saw the scar. For now, it's best to let it be.

"Is he going to be okay?" Ruby whispers.

"Of course. You saw him handle us, so a Beowolf should be no problem," Yang confidently states.

"Lets see what this Huntman in training can do!" Professor Port shouts.

The Beowolf growls, then leaps towards you. You don't move your body at all. You look up at it, at its figure coming down upon you.

" _(Y/N)!" Your mother screams._

 _You, on the ground. The Beowolf, coming at you. There's no way out. But a figure moves into its way, protecting you._

" _(Y/N), leave! You're not ready!" Jet shouts, his voice ever so serious._

The grip on your shoulder tightens as your remember. The small flashback – broken memories. This Beowolf isn't getting away. You focus on the Beowolf, your stare becoming far more menacing. You swiftly move from your position, sliding across the floor as if it was ice. The Beowolf lands and begins sniffing the area. He picks up your scent, and turns around to face you. Your gloved hand is in the air, but your eyes are solely focused on the creature of Grimm. The Grimm howls and comes after you once more. You duck under his first attack, but keep your palm up. You hop into the air and make contact with its stomach. You forcefully push off it, sending you both to opposite sides of the room.

The Beowolf smashes into the cage, while you twirl and land gracefully, your hand still up. You keep an intense gaze on the Grimm as you wait.

"Whoa, this is weird. He's like a totally different person," Ruby comments, confused.

"I agree. He seems to be taking this very seriously," Blake says.

Weiss, though not even admitting it to herself, is concerned, along with the rest of Team RWBY and even Jaune.

The Beowolf charges you once more, intending to sink its teeth into you. You dodge it once again, moving behind him. Suddenly, the door to the classroom bursts open. Everyone, minus Professor Port, looks behind them to see what could be breaking in. Though the speed is too fast for anyone, save Ruby, to pick up. Crimson Blaze shoots through the air and right into your hand. You grip the handle right and snap your arm forward. The sheath flies off, but the sword itself remains in your hands. The Beowolf is met with the full force of the sheath, pushing it against the wall. You charge forward before the Beowolf actually hits the wall. Once it does, the sheath bounces off of it. Quickly, and with expert accuracy, you thrust your blade back into the sheath. You throw your strength into the motion, pushing the sheath right into the Beowolf.

With it trapped against the wall, all you need to do is finish it. Pull your sword back out and slice the Grimm's head off in a fluid motion as you turn yourself around. You switch to the reverse sword grip, and carefully slide it back into the sheath. You move your grip down to the sheath itself, and pull it out as you walk away. The Beowolf's head falls onto the floor, and the body follows along.

You let out a deep breath. That was… uncomfortable for you. Very uncomfortable. You don't like Beowolves. You don't like any Grimm in general, but Beowolves just get under your skin. You just get angry, and want them dead no matter what. You look out to the class, who is pretty neutral about the whole thing. They've no doubt seen Beowolves killed before. Plus, you didn't kill it with much flair. The only surprising thing about that performance was when your weapon burst through the door. However, you notice that your new friends seem a little different. They seem sort of concerned, for some reason.

"Fantastic!" Port booms, catching you off guard. "That's the work of a true Huntsman-in-training. Sit down child and prepare to learn!"

You smile just for the sake of appeasing him, then return to your seat. You relax in your seat as the Professor starts to speak. You feel an odd feeling as you sit. You slowly look over at your friends. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Blake are all looking at you. You stare at each other for a moment before you flash a smile.

"What?" you cheerfully whisper.

RWBY looks at each other before shrugging and looking away. Anything they want to say has to wait until after class. But… that might take longer than you hope. The Professor quickly transitioned from useful techniques against Grimm, to some story about how he slew some Ursa when he was younger. You slowly lay your head down on your arms, your chin digging into your forearm, and watch teacher talk. You notice out of your peripheral vision that Blake has opened her book and is reading.

 _Nice Blake… I get it now._

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After a long, and very boring class, you finally get to relax in your room. Unfortunately, with the influx of students, you got separated from all your friends. With nobody to talk to, you decided to go to your room. You're currently relaxing in your bed, finally donning your regular outfit and escaping the constricting clothing.

There's still some time left in the day and you don't really want to waste it lying in your room, no matter how comfortable it might be. Besides, you need to pass the time for tomorrow. As you think of it more and more, you get excited about your duel with Pyrrha. Of course it won't be a serious fight, but it's still something to look forward to nonetheless.

You look over at your bookshelf and see the books you recently purchased. Unfortunately, the bookshelf isn't full. There are three rows, and you have enough to fill about one and a half. You also take into consideration that Ruby has one of your books too. Still you have some room for more. There's always the option to go back to Tukson's and grab some more. You still have a few days until he needs you, but that's no reason not to go visit. With a goal in mind, you roll off your bed, sweeping your feet as the hit the ground. You attract Crimson Blaze to your hand then set it on your belt. No point in leaving it here.

You thankfully remember the way out and to the docks. Ships tend to come and go from Vale to Beacon, so there's usually one able to take you. You exit your dorms and embrace the cool breeze that brushes past you. You walk towards the docks, not paying too much attention to the environment around you.

"Good afternoon, (Y/N)," a calm voice greets.

You're a little surprised, but quickly mask it by the time you turn to the man: Ozpin.

"Oh, Ozpin, hey! Do you need something?"

Ozpin takes a drink of his coffee.

"No, just checking in. I wanted to see how your first day was going. Especially with your oversleeping."

You chuckle, rubbing the back of your head.

"Yeah… I did do that. Thanks for waking me up, by the way."

"It would've been rude of me not to. Anyhow, we have something to discuss in my office. Care to join me?"

You look towards the docks, staring at something you can no longer reach. You sigh, then shrug.

"Sure. Lead the way, Ozp- uh, Professor Ozpin," you quickly correct yourself.

Ozpin snickers.

"Glynda isn't here. You can relax."

"Right… yeah, that's true."

"She really puts you on edge, doesn't she?" he says as you begin to walk.

"She does! You know her, do you know why? You know her!"

Ozpin thinks.

"Hm… that alludes me. Maybe she wants you to succeed, like I do."

"Why would she want me to succeed? She doesn't even know me!" you shout, enthusiastic about the conversation.

Ozpin notices you failed to mention that he wants you to succeed too. Selective hearing. He also notes that you don't know about Glynda and Jet's history together. But, that's for Glynda to reveal, and not Ozpin.

"Maybe one day she'll tell you why. But for now, lets focus on the task at hand, yes?"

You exhale, letting go of all your passion. You look over at Ozpin, slouched, and nod.

"Yeah, alright."

Ozpin leads you to his tower, and to the top floor. You've been here twice in two days, which you doubt is normal for any person at Beacon. But Ozpin doesn't seem to be upset or anything, so at least you know you're not in some kind of trouble. After an oddly comfortable elevator ride, you and Ozpin step into his office. He takes a seat in his chair, putting his coffee on the table and his cane beside him, while you stand in front of his desk. He gestures to a nearby chair.

"Please, take a seat."

You walk over to the chair and set it up in front of Ozpin's desk. You notice that there are a small stack of papers sitting on Ozpin's desk.

"So, what's this about?"

"Well… technically I don't have to consult you due to your age, but I find it appropriate that you know. There's more than one reason you came to Beacon, Y/N," Ozpin says, getting serious, yet still keeping a friendly aura to him.

"And… what's that?" You ask, curious.

Ozpin places two fingers on the pages in front of him, then slides them closer to you.

"You're here for stability."

You look at Ozpin as you bring the pages closer to you. You look down at the pages and start reading through them. Your eyes widen when you realize what this is.

"Y-You… Ozpin… Ha… Don't do this, huh?"

Ozpin raises his brow.

"Oh? Why shouldn't I?"

You lean back in the chair.

"Everyone who 'adopts' me, just ships me away again, and we inevitably have tension. Look, I remember meeting you before. I like you. I don't want things to go wrong betwe-"

"You weren't adopted before," Ozpin counters.

This catches you by surprise, you lean in a bit, resting your elbows on your legs.

"What do you mean?" You ask, your voice getting deadly serious.

"You were fostered, (Y/N). It was for training. Now, with this as your final place, I've been chosen to be your step-father."

Your eyes fidget back and forth, staring at Ozpin's desk. That can't be true. Everyone treated you like family, like you were meant to stay with them. You weren't?

"They… lied... Why wasn't I told? Why did they lie?" you shout. "All those years, all those people, they just lied to my face about caring?"

Ozpin remains silent, analyzing your reaction. You get out of the chair, pushing it a few feet as you move. You have no idea how to process the information.

"(Y/N), it's not their fault. It was wri-"

"What? It was a whole plan?" You accuse, turning to Ozpin. "They all knew about it? Did they all know they were going to toss me aside within a few months?"

Ozpin nods.

"They did, yes. But I think-"

"So they knew… they knew and still made me give a damn. Maybe if I would have known…" You clench your fist and grind your teeth.

"I think you're jumping to conclusions," Ozpin declares, attempting to get you to focus but not push you on the matter. "It was all-"

"All some plan, obviously. If they all knew then you'd think someone would tell me something! But… just… Gah!"

You storm towards the elevator, intending to find somewhere to be alone. Ozpin says, nor does anything to stop you. He watches you march out of his office, and do whatever it is you need to do. Once you leave he sighs.

"That was about what I was expecting. Still… only having two soft spots isn't that bad. Perhaps, once he's calmed down, he'll only have one."

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Ruby lies on her bed, completely relaxing after today. She's alone right now. Weiss is refilling her dust collection, Blake is in the library studying, and Yang is… actually Ruby isn't sure where her dear sister is. She just sort of left. She does tend to find trouble, no matter what. There was one time that Ruby found her sister beating people up outside of a club. That was… odd. Hopefully she isn't getting into any trouble like that.

Ruby huffs, still confused on what to do. She hops off her bed and starts walking out of the room. Maybe she can hang out with Blake a bit. It's the best idea she has at the moment. Ruby leaves her room and turns to the exit. She starts walking down the hall, then hears some grumbling. She stops, wondering what that is. She sees you stop through the hall, appearing and disappearing quickly. But those few seconds tell her so much. Your step is heavy, as if you're carrying something that weighs you down. She was already concerned about you after the Beowolf, but now you are visibly disturbed.

Ruby becomes determined to find out what's wrong with you. She starts jogging after you. She can hear your door slam, adding another reason why she thinks you're in a bad mood. Ruby stops at the end of the hallway, taking a second to think. She looks back at her room for a moment, coming up with a plan.

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You slam your door behind you, sending a loud **_THUD_** through the dorms. You honestly don't want the attention right now, but you can't help yourself. Your blood is boiling, your mind is racing, and your body is heating up. You're just mad. Mad at all the people who've taken care of you, mad at Ozpin, mad at yourself. You don't even have a reason to be mad at Ozpin and yet you are. He just told you and he's the only person to focus your anger on.

"To know that everyone… they didn't care at all… never telling me, always lying…" you mutter, a venomous tone in your voice. "Damnit!" you shout, slamming your fist into your leg.

Suddenly you hear a knock on the door. You turn towards it immediately, wondering who would dare disturb you right now. It might be a fellow student checking in on the noise, or maybe Ms. Goodwitch. You roll your eyes and approach the door. You open it only to be met with Ruby. She's looking up at you with those innocent, silver eyes she has. Her head is tilted to the side a bit, making her bangs fall on her cheek.

"Can… Can I… I mean," Ruby audibly gulps, then takes a more confident stance. "Can I come in for a second?"

You huff, calming down a bit in front of Ruby. You turn around and shrug.

"Sure, if you want."

Ruby carefully enters the room and closes the door behind her. She turns back to see you at your desk, vigourously tapping your finger on the metal. Ruby looks at you with a downcast face. Even after knowing you for only a couple days, she doesn't like seeing you in this distress.

Ruby cautiously takes a few steps towards you, not wanting to make any sudden movements.

"I… I thought you were really cool taking on the Grimm earlier," she softly says, trying to break the silence.

You tap your finger one more time, harder than the previous times. Ruby notices, and now has confirmation that something happened during that encounter. You turn your head towards her, exhaling.

"Yeah, thanks. It was nothing," you bluntly state.

Ruby's eyes wander your floor.

"Are you okay?" she asks directly. "You're not very… well… you."

You turn to face her. She stares directly into your eyes, a kind, yet determined glimmer reside in them. For some reason, she is really calming you down. But you don't really want to be talking to her right now. At the same time, you don't want to be mean and tell her off.

"And how do you know what's me or not?" you ask in a slightly more pleasant tone.

"Well," Ruby begins thinking. "You seemed to tell a lot of jokes when we… fought… and you smile a lot. You were really nice to those kids on the playground too, and even play fought with my sister. But you're not all that cheery now, which has to mean something's wrong. So, what? Are you mad at me?"

"What? No," you quickly deflect. "No… I'm not mad at you. In hindsight… I'm not that mad at Ozpin, either," you whisper, looking away.

"Ozpin?" Ruby repeats. "What did Ozpin do?"

You walk over to your bed and sit on it, bouncing a little bit.

"He… nothing. He didn't do anything. I just…"

Ruby hops on the bed beside you, focusing all her attention on you, while you stare at the floor. You huff, trying to think of what to say.

"It's… I moved around. A lot. You could call me a foster child, or something. But every time I moved, I _thought_ it was because my "parents" didn't want me anymore. I mean… do you know what that's like to have someone you care about, and then lose them?" you ask aloud.

"I…" Ruby becomes a little more quiet. "I lost my mom when I was young. So… I think I do."

You turn to her, seeing her a little sad now.

"Oh? I didn't know… I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I still have my dad! And Yang!"

You give her a small smile at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah… well… imagine having them, then them being taken away. You suffer from it, then they come back. You're happy, but they're taken away again." Ruby nods in understanding. "It was like that. Every. Time. I just thought they hated me or something. Only once did I know it was temporary, and that was one time in Atlas. The rest…"

Ruby thinks back for a moment, remembering the park. It's the first time she saw you in a different mood, and it's similar to this one.

"So… that woman in the park? Was she?"

You nod.

"Yeah, last time I came to Vale, I lived with them. But… I'm just such an idiot. Or maybe not. I don't know. Ozpin," you say throwing your arm towards his tower. "He just told me that it wasn't like that. That they knew I'd be moved around constantly. So they made me care just for the inevitable backlash!"

"Well… I don't know a lot about it… but maybe they didn't want to ruin it for you?"

You turn to Ruby, curious as to her point.

"I mean, if you knew you'd leave, wouldn't you have just counted down the days instead of having fun? You said yourself that you cared about them. That might not have happened if you knew you'd leave."

"Yeah, but…" You huff. "I don't know, Little Red. Just… it seems that so much was hidden from me. I don't know whether to be mad, or sad, or… I just don't know."

You flop down onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Ruby turns her body and looks down at you.

"Well… being mad and sad doesn't seem to be going well for you, so why not be happy? Maybe the people who took care of you felt the same way, and has to feel bad since they knew you'd leave. But… I don't know. This seems like very adult stuff," she finishes.

You chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess. But now Ozpin…" You think back to the conversation. "Man… I didn't even hear Ozpin out. He said he wanted to adopt me and-"

"What!?" Ruby exclaims. "You're being adopted by Ozpin!?"

You nod.

"Yeah. Papers and everything. I had no idea. I just thought I was being enrolled here for a few months. But it seems I'll be staying for a while. Well… I don't know now, after I got mad at Ozpin. Sheesh, what a mess," you huff, roll over onto your face.

Ruby can tell you're better than you were earlier, and she's happy you've opened up a bit. You just shared a part of your life with her, which is… comforting. She knows more about her friend, and some of the pain he's gone through. It's similar to hers, in a way, but while she had people to support her, you were alone, going through the same thing over and over. Ruby looks down at her belt. She opens her small pouch that, what normally holds her sniper shells, houses the book you lent her. She pulls it out and sits it on her lap.

"You know, sometimes when I felt sad, Yang or my dad would read that book to me. The same one you gave me," she softly says, reminiscing about the object. You turn your head to look at her. "So… I mean… maybe it could work for you too?"

You can tell there's hope in her eyes. She actually wants to cheer you up. She actually seems to… care, for some reason.

 _Ha… I guess age doesn't really matter here, does it. Me, the older one, being comforted and read to by Little Red, the younger one._

But, she did help you out. You have your head on straight again, and know what you have to do. You have to apologize to Ozpin for your outburst… and apologize to the people who kept you going early on. At least, for now, your old family in Vale. But that's for another time. Right now your focus is on Ruby.

You crack a smirk.

"Alright, Little Red, you can read to me."

Ruby smiles, letting out a nervous huff.

"Okay, phew, I thought it was weird. Okay, this works out," she happily says, getting excited. "I haven't been able to read it without someone there with me, you know? Now I can get into it."

Ruby opens the book to where she left off, which isn't that far. She begins reading softly. You really get into it, and can't help but focus everything on her voice. You roll onto your back and place your hands behind your head. Ruby stays sitting as she is, paying full attention to the reading.

Though something does stay in the back of Ruby's mind. She may have found out why you're upset, but it doesn't explain your tension with the Beowolf. But, that's a topic for another time. She doesn't want to ruin anything right now. You're happy. She's happy. That's all that matters.

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It's been some time since you stormed away from Ozpin. He took his time, carefully thinking up what should be done. Of course there's still the truth, though he doubt it will make that much of a difference. You know the how, but not the why. Either way, Ozpin has to sort this out. There's really nowhere left for you to go now. Well, there is Atlas, but that's something Ozpin would rather avoid. You're his responsibility now, and he's going to do everything he can to make this right.

The first step is talking to you. So, after giving you time to cool off, Ozpin approaches your door. He raises his hand and readies to knock, but the door seems to open before contact can be made. He looks down to see Ruby, oblivious to Ozpin, leaving. She's looking at you right now. You fell asleep while she was reading. She has no idea when, but it was still comfortable just to have someone to read with. She'll just assume you listened the whole time. She turns to leave, only to be met by Ozpin.

"Good evening, Ruby. Just leaving?" Ozpin remarks, a small joke thrown in.

"Oh!" Ruby jumps back, startled. "Professor Ozpin. Sorry, I didn't see you there."

Ozpin notices Ruby isn't thinking in the way others might, likely due to her age. A girl, leaving a boy's dorm room while he's sleeping. Many could assume things. Ozpin does not, thus he doesn't even hint at it.

He chuckles.

"It's quite alright. Is (Y/N) sleeping?"

"Ah, yes. Actually he was talking about you earlier, when…" Ruby folds in on herself, unsure whether or not to disclose what you said.

"When what?" Ozpin inquires.

"Um… well… he told me some stuff. Some stuff about you and him. He's… sorry," she says, looking up at him. "You're not kicking him out, are you?"

"No, of course not. I understand his frustration, and intended to apologize myself. But, it seems like I can't."

Ruby isn't sure how to respond. She's just eager to get back to her room. She slides out of the door frame, letting the door close.

"Well… I'm going now. Goodnight, Professor!" She waves, a bright smile on her face.

Ozpin bows his head.

"Goodnight."

Ruby walks away, leaving Ozpin in front of your room. He sighs looking down at the floor. Ozpin turns and walks away. He can talk to you later. Perhaps after your fight with Pyrrha. He'll definitely be watching.

 **And here it is. Honestly, I'm going to get started on the next chapter tomorrow. I'm on a RWBY craze right now. I might even start another story on the side to work on while this is being edited. It's mostly a fluff story, but I think you all might like it. Anyway, the thing that may suck is my now lack of beta reader. Which I understand. He helped me a lot, and I thank him for his time, but now I gotta find someone else. Which may or may not interrupt the next chapter. It shouldn't, unless I finish the chapter before I find a new beta reader. Well, this is all writer stuff that you probably don't care about. You just want to read about yourself in the world of Remnant, romancing the youngest huntress at Beacon. Who knows what will happen. Well… I do, but that's besides the point. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. If you have comments or reviews, feel free to leave them. I always enjoy reading feedback. If you would rather message me directly, feel free. I also love talking to my readers. So, my friends, I bid you farewell until the next chapter.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	6. Chapter 6: Slater vs Nikos

**Chapter 6: Slater vs. Nikos**

 **RING RING RING**

"Gah!" You shout, basically hopping off your bed and landing on the floor.

You look around with pure death in your eyes. Whatever made that sound will suffer the worst torture imaginable. You easily spot what made the noise: an alarm clock on your bedside table. You walk over to it and slam the top, instantly stopping it.

 _Where did this even come from? I don't have an alarm… clock…_

Realization sweeps through your mind. No doubt it was Glynda. Nobody else would put an alarm clock in your room. Well, maybe Ruby did? No, she wouldn't do that. Speaking of which, where is Ruby? The last thing you remember is her reading to you as you laid there. She was so happy when she read to you, that you couldn't help but cheer up, despite the mood you were in. She just seemed so enthusiastic about it. Adorable, could be another word. But, considering it's probably morning, since the sun is up now, she probably went to her own room last night, which is good. You wouldn't want her to be sleeping in your room. Between Glynda and what Jaune told you about Yang, you feel that your death would come far too early, not that a Huntsman's life is guaranteed to be a long one.

You kneel down and check the time.

"Seven-thirty!?" You bawl.

You quickly grab your scroll of the same bedside table while smacking the alarm to shut it off. You find your class list and check when the first one starts.

"Nine… First class is… nine…"

You quietly start chuckling in a maniacal, insane way. You slowly get louder and louder, your mind totally breaking. Instantly you stop, throwing the scroll against your bed.

"No. No, that's not funny. I'm going to find Ms. Goodwitch and give her a piece of my mind!" You declare, your path now set.

You honestly don't even know where Glynda is, or where her quarters would be to find her. But, not in the mood to think, you just continue on. You march out of your quarters and into the halls. Unknown to you, a certain female student sees you marching, and raises a brow in curiosity. Falling victim to her curiosity, she follows you.

You barge out of the building, the fresh sunlight beaming onto you. You look around, hoping your gut will guide you. Instinctively you start marching forward, fist clenched, and breathing heavy. Unable to take it any longer, the girl calls out to you.

"I like the sight!"

You turn around to see who's there. It's none other than the busty brawler, Yang Xiao Long. The sun bristles off her golden locks, almost blinding you. She's in slightly different attire than you've seen her in. She has an orange tank top with the same marking in the middle as she does on her other yellow shirt. Of course, her belly button is showing, and her "assets" are as prominent as they normally are; perhaps more so now. She's also wearing a different type of short shorts, these being brown instead of black that show off her legs just like her normal attire.

There's no doubt about it in your mind. Yang is a beautiful young woman. Her brilliant eyes, charming wink, and smooth features make everyone turn their head for a fourth look. She's definitely got a body many would kill for, and which she's probably worked hard for. Hell, she's even great to talk to. You did manage to have a few conversation with her during lunch, and she even played with you and the kids on the playground. She's loud, passionate, and really likes those damn puns of hers. But she seems nice, and cares for her friends. She's also powerful in a fight, something you have first-hand knowledge of, and apparently has a bad temper, but that's just hearsay from Jaune. It seems that team RWBY is full of interesting girls that you're oh so lucky to get to meet. Yang almost reminds you of another unique girl from Vacuo. She had a temper too… though you luckily escaped before she set her wrath upon you.

"What're talking about?" You question, still pumped up from anger.

Yang's eyes scan you from head to toe. You look down, realize that you're not wearing much. You only have underwear on.

 _What? But last thing I remember was… oh… ooooh crap._

It's true. You remember. You semi woke-up in the middle of the night. You must have torn your clothes off through the night, though a little more than you usually do. Yang, on the other hand, is having a ball with what she's seeing. As a Huntsman, it's natural for you to have muscles for strength. Though due to your extreme training over the years, you're a little more toned than the other kids, which is alright by Yang. She's smiling away, loving the sight, and is happy to wait for an answer.

"Oh…"

All childish anger that you had stored easily slipped away and was replaced by embarrassment.

"So, what were you planning on doing, exactly?" Yang asks, suppressing a chuckle.

"I-I… was, uh… gonna talk to… Ms. Goodwitch," you hesitantly answer, realizing that lying was probably your best way out.

To no surprise, Yang busts a gut laughing.

"Yo-You were gonna talk to M-Ms. Goodwitch with no clothes," she makes out through laughter.

You slouch your shoulders and sigh.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," you argue, slowly walking towards her. "I didn't know I had no clothes on."

Yang doesn't answer with anything but laughter, albeit a little less than she started with. Wiping away a tear, Yang leans on her hip.

"Well, by all means, go ahead. As long as you don't mind me tagging along. I couldn't miss that for the world."

"Ha. Ha," you fake laugh. "Whatever. What're you even doing out here anyway? It's so early."

Yang gets a tad more serious, but not much.

"Well," she starts, lifting up her arms and stretching them. "I was going to go for a run like I do every week. Gotta make sure I stay in shape."

You chuckle.

"Yeah, and fighting Grimm doesn't do it for you?"

She lazily shrugs.

"It does, but a peaceful run when the sunrises isn't so bad. Hey, you wanna come with?"

You think for a moment. You doubt you're going to get any more sleep. Not now. Not after all this commotion. You're basically going to be spending an hour-and-a-half doing nothing anyway. A jog wouldn't hurt. You had to do a lot of those in Atlas. And Vacuo. And Mistral. There's a pattern there. From just those past experiences alone, it seems like a jog in Vale wouldn't be so bad.

You nod.

"Alright Yang, why not. Let me, uh, put something on, though," you meekly request.

"Aw, you sure? I wouldn't mind," she jokes.

"I'm sure," you chuckle, walking back into the building.

Yang watches you as you walk. She catches something right as you pass her. It's not that difficult to notice, though. You have a major scar on your back. Looks like a Grimm claw. That's just one more thing that piques her interest about you.

Yang leans against a column, waiting for you to come back out. She thinks back to her conversation with Ruby last night.

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 _Ruby quietly opens the door to her room. Weiss, Blake, and Yang seem to be sawing logs, which is good for her. She's lucky that Ozpin wasn't mad that she was out so late. She doesn't want one of her teammates catch-_

" _Ruby?" Yang groggily says._

" _Gh" Ruby mutters, tensing up and freezing in place._

 _She turns to Yang, moving both hands behind her back and under her cape._

" _Hiya sis," she nervously greets. "I just had to, ah, go to the bathroom!"_

" _There's a bathroom over there," Yang points out, now more awake. "Where were you?"_

 _Ruby starts muttering incoherent nonsense in an attempt to buy some time._

" _I… uh… you know, just… studying?" She says, more like a question to see if Yang will buy it._

 _She doesn't._

" _Okay Rubes, you aren't fooling me," Yang declares, becoming all big sister like. "Where were you? With a boy?" She asks, but of course she expects the answer to be no; Ruby isn't into boys yet._

 _Ruby's body becomes tense, standing as straight and as still as possible. Yang notices this._

" _A… Ruby, were you with a boy?"_

" _Well yes, but… he was in a bad mood so I thought I should help him since, well, you know, it'd be mean if I didn't and he seems really cool from when we've talked to him and I think Weiss has spoken to him on her own plus Pyrrha and Jaune did so I thought I deserved a turn and I think I helped him and then Ozpin caught me and it was really embarrassing and-"_

 _Yang closes Ruby's mouth, stopping her nervous rambling and letting the young Huntress take a breath. Finally, once Ruby calms down a bit, Yang speaks._

" _Was it (Y/N)?"_

 _Ruby slowly nods._

" _Yeah… he was in a bad mood and I couldn't just leave him alone."_

" _Awww, my little sister cares," Yang happily cries out, pulling Ruby into a giant bear hug._

" _Hgh," Ruby squeals, stuck between her sister's strong arms and large lumps._

 _Yang lets Ruby go._

" _I noticed he was off too. Proud of you Rubes, you're meeting more people. But, if he touches you, I'll kill him."_

 _Ruby blushes hard._

" _Nothing happened! I just read to him!" She defended, revealing the book from behind her back._

 _Yang looks down at it, recognizing it instantly._

" _Where did you get that?" Yang happily asks._

" _(Y/N) had it. He let me borrow it."_

" _Oooh," Yang coos. "Sounds like someone has a crush."_

" _He does not!" Ruby shouts, going red._

 _Her high pitched shout wakes up both Blake and Weiss._

" _People are trying to sleep," Weiss moans._

" _Yes, please go to bed. You two are being very loud," Blake pleads, slamming a pillow over her head._

 _Ruby quickly grabs her pajamas and goes to the bathroom to change. Yang hops back in her bed, getting into a sleeping position. It's clear to her that you and Ruby have been spending time together. As an older sister, she has to make sure you're not planning anything._

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Not a minute later, you come out in a t-shirt and shorts. Yang sizes you up, estimating how long you'll be able to keep up with her. You cross your arms and stop in front of her.

"Well, shall we get going? I still want to shower before classes."

"Don't worry, we will. That is, if you don't slow me down," Yang teases as she pushes off the column and starts running.

"Hey!" You shout, with a hint of laughter.

You bolt after her, slowing down once you match her speed.

"That was a cheap shot. Now I've used up more energy than you."

Yang shrugs while she runs.

"Hey, should have been more alert. So, did you sleep well?" She asks, starting the conversation.

"Yeah, I suppose. I think I fell asleep early, though."

"Enjoying Beacon?"

"Yeah, I would say."

Yang leads you past some buildings and around the outskirts of the grounds.

"Alright, lets cut to it then," Yang states.

Your curiosity peaks.

"Cut to what? What're you talking about?"

"Ruby."

"Little Red? What about her?" You innocently ask.

You can't deny that you're a little worried. Talking about Ruby, with Yang, alone, and you have no weapons. You can see her weapons are on her wrists. She has control right now, no matter what you do.

"You're spending time with her. I want to know what your intentions are," Yang asks, her eyes changing to red.

"Nothing! I swear! She just… I don't know. She helped me out last night, so I guess I owe her a thanks. Trust me Yang," you say, stopping. She stops with you. "I have no bad intentions with your sister. I mean, I just met her. I almost feel insulted."

Yang sizes you up before sighing. Her eyes return to normal, and she starts jogging once more. You follow suite.

"Look, she's my little sister. Nobody's more important to me, and nobody will mess with her on my watch. So you better watch yourself, bucko!"

You nod.

"Yes ma'am!" You jokingly salute.

Yang chuckles at your action.

"Well, now that that's out of the way lets get to our run, or, me kicking your butt," she smirks, sprinting ahead.

"Hey!" You laugh, increasing your speed to catch up to her.

Yang sprints across the edge of the docking area. You stop for a second and stare at her. The sun is shining bright from the side, and it's illuminating the blonde like nothing else. Her beautiful flowing blonde hair that bounces with each step. Her strong legs and smooth arms. Almost as if she can sense you, she looks back at you while she runs. Her lilac eyes sparkle from the sun's rays. She gives you a quick wink before bolting off again. It's… mesmerizing.

You shake your head, getting back in the game. You gather your strength and burst forward, catching up to her quickly. You surpass her, which takes her by surprise.

"You aren't beating me that easily!" She declares, using all her stamina in one shot.

You both run at full speed through Beacon, the harsh wind causing your hair to whip around. It's worse for Yang, of course, though she also has some other "obstacles" that get in her way while running.

You're closing in on your dorm, which surprises you. You have no idea how long you've been running for. A mix of admiring Yang, a desire to win, and the rush of running has made you lose all track of time. Besides, that scare Yang did also took some time out of you. Yang glances over at you, smirking. You give her a grin right back. With everything in your bodies, you floor it to the door. You're both being careless in your running due to fatigue, and just want to beat the other.

"HYAA!"

"HARRRH!"

You both leap forward, your arms reaching towards the pillar Yang once rested on. You're both neck and neck, finger and finger. Your hands are inching towards the pillar. Time almost seems to slow down as the distance lessens. But, as soon as your finger touches the stone, time goes back to normal. You and Yang push the pillar with so much force that it breaks. You both go through it and tumble over one another as the column slowly tips over. You and Yang gain your bearings, realizing you're lying beside each other, her leg wrapped around yours and your hand in hers. You're both calm about it since this predicament was more funny than romantic. But you quickly realize the column is falling down.

You and Yang share a look, knowing that you can't let the column fall. You untangle yourselves quickly and rush to its falling point. You both take position under it, you closer to the base, Yang farther back.

"Struggling?" Yang teases.

"Ha, not on your life!" You bark.

You both push the pillar back into position, Yang slowly approaching you as the pillar rises. Soon, she's right to your back, and the column is erect once again. You wipe your hands together, getting rid of some dirt.

"Well, that worked out fine," you smile.

"You think it'll fall over?" Yang ponders, crossing her arms.

You both stare at the column, looking at the obvious crack near the base.

"It'll be fine."

"Yep."

And you both go on your way.

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It's time. You've been looking forward to this fight for the past day, and it's finally here. You walk into the locker room to get ready. You don't know why you need to do this, since you forgot to put on the school uniform. But this class is your first, so you'll have time to slip away and put on the uniform before next class.

Already having your weapon and fighting clothes, you stretch a little bit. Pyrrha is grabbing her gear from her locker. She looks over at you, giving you a pleasant smile. You nod her head in return. Not wanting to dilly-dally here, you head towards the arena. You walk through a hallway and reach the arena. There's two displays that show off the aura level of both you and Pyrrha, along with your pictures. Students are sitting around the outside too. Ruby and Yang wave at you, and you wink right back.

Glynda, standing as regal as ever, awaits for you and Pyrrha. You take position at one point of the arena and wait for Pyrrha.

"Who do you think is going to win?" Ruby asks aloud, not asking anyone specific.

"Definitely (Y/N)," Yang comments. "I mean, he stood up against all of us."

"But he didn't beat us. I don't think Pyrrha could beat us all either," Blake adds.

"Pyrrha's a professional. It's probable she has more combat experience and ability than (Y/N)," Weiss analyzes.

"But we don't really know (Y/N)'s training," Ruby counters.

"He was very skilled when he fought all four of us. We don't know how strong he is one-on-one," Blake says.

Weiss thinks for a moment.

"That's true. I suppose we won't know until the fight starts."

"Underestimating an opponent is a mistake," Ozpin interjects, standing behind all the students. Everyone looks back, confused as to when Ozpin got there. "The true question… is who's underestimating who."

Jaune sighs, a little disappointed. Both you and Pyrrha are his friends, so he doesn't want to cheer against either of you. But, admittedly, he's interested about this fight. He knows Pyrrha's extraordinarily strong and skilled. Her training has been helping him immensely. But you… he has a weird feeling about you. Not a bad one by any means. He simply feels that you're stronger than you're letting on.

After a minute of constant chatter, a single sound silences everyone. The click of heels walking down the hall. Everyone knows Pyrrha is coming. Everyone knows what's going to happen. The strongest first years against someone who competed with one of the most skilled teams. Even some students who don't even have Ms. Goodwitches class is attending just to watch.

Pyrrha exits the hallway, staring right at you. You smile at her, keeping the mood friendly.

"Alright. We're starting off with Pyrrha Nikos and (Y/N) Slater," Glynda announces, stepping forward. "Prepare yourself, and remember this is just a sparring match."

"Don't worry Miss, we'll be good," you smirk.

Glynda rolls her eyes. It's not worth the effort to chew you out right now.

"Are you ready?" Pyrrha asks, moving her sword and shield to her hands.

You nod, placing your hand on the top of your hilt.

"I am."

Glynda takes a last look at each of you. She raises her hand and leaves it there. The air grows heavy, everyone is silent, and the tension grows.

"Begin!"

Pyrrha instantly shoots off her heel towards you. She spins her blade in her hand, transforming it into a spear. She throws the spear at you, then throws the shield to the side. With little effort you move your head to the side, dodging the javelin. You return your head to normal and watch as Pyrrha runs at you.

 _Now why would she attack me un… armed…_

As soon as the thought goes through your mind you hear metal hit metal. You fall backwards, spreading your hands to your sides. Miló flies through where you were, spins around, and returns to Pyrrha's hand.

 _Hm… There's no way that should have moved like that. It should have hit Pyrrha._

Pyrrha lunges at you, attempt to stab you. You throw your hands into the ground, getting the best grip you can. You pop your hips and shoot your legs up, your heels connecting with Pyrrha's chin. She's sent into the air, and with the breathing room you roll over your shoulder and push yourself onto your feet. Meanwhile, Pyrrha easily recovers and lands. You look down near your feet, seeing her shield.

"You know, throwing your defenses at me isn't the best. Usually they're meant to… you know… defend! It's in the word," you comment, a smirk on your face.

"Even defenses can be used offensively, if one knows how," Pyrrha retorts.

You shrug.

"I suppose."

You stomp your foot on the side of Akoúo, making it flip into the air. You raise the same leg and kick it towards Pyrrha at a specific angle. The shield zooms towards Pyrrha's arm. Pyrrha moves it a bit and reattaches her shield instantly.

"Hm…"

Pyrrha, not wanting to waste time, comes at you again. You raise your left hand and attract Crimson Blaze to it. You dash at Pyrrha as well. The two of you meet in the middle, your weapons colliding with one another. You stare into Pyrrha's eyes, your sheath and her weapon, now in xiphos form, getting slightly in the way. Pyrrha lets out a small smirk, then throws her shield at your legs. With little breathing room, Akoúo nicks your leg, knocking you off balance. Pyrrha seizes the moment, attacking slicing you diagonally twice, the spinning around, morphing her weapon to javelin form, and spearing you in the chest with it.

You tumble backwards, but quickly gain your bearings. You can hear Pyrrha's heels coming towards you, which means she's going to attack again. Her shield, somehow, is with her again.

"You know, heels in battle must be uncomfortable," you remark, flipping onto your feet.

In the sidelines, Ruby looks towards Weiss. Weiss notices Ruby's stare.

"Don't even give me that."

Ruby giggles, showing her childish nature, then watches the fight again.

Pyrrha slashes at you over and over, but, now completely recovered, you're parrying her attacks with just your sheath. Though she's getting awfully close to hitting you many a time.

"How can you even stay standing," you say, ducking under a javelin jab. "I mean, wouldn't you be off balance," you parry her stab, then spin around and attempt to hit her face, only for her to handily block your attempted attack and reward you with her own, which you dodge. "But then again, girls seem to have a hang of the whole heels thing," you snicker, countering Pyrrha's attack.

You jump away from her, getting a decent distance between you.

"Do you always talk so much during battle?" Pyrrha huffs.

"I try to make jokes, yes. There's a purpose to it."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Well," you starts stretching your arms. "If I can keep level-headed enough to make stupid jokes, then I know my head's very much in the game, and I'm not blinding myself with rage or anything. Plus it can make my opponent on edge, which makes them slip up. I noticed you missed a couple shots while I was talking that I may not have been able to dodge."

Pyrrha molds her weapon to the xiphos form once again.

"Very well, but know that won't be enough for you to beat me."

You chuckle.

"I know, but it's a force of habit. Honestly, I think I have to get serious. You're a lot better than I initially thought."

You move your right hand to the hilt of Crimson Blaze while your left hand holds the sheath. You raise the sword to about eye level, but not enough that it blocks Pyrrha from your field of view. You slowly unsheathe your weapon, revealing the pitch black blade. The dim lights around the arena reflects off the dark metal, giving it a texture unseen with Pyrrha's weapon. You let go of the sheath, allowing it to attach to your belt.

"Alright Pyrrha, let's get serious," you state in a far less cheery tone.

You move your left hand in front of your mouth, pointing your fingers towards Pyrrha as if your hand is a claw. Your other hand points the sword at Pyrrha, sideways. Pyrrha takes a step back, moving her shield in front of her.

You both stare at each other. Pyrrha knows your persona has changed, though she expects a joke or two. Or maybe you're truly in a fighting mood now. She really can't say. Pyrrha takes in a deep breath, as it's likely the last one she'll have for some time. But, as if almost like you teleported, you're in front of her. Your hand is still covering your face, but your sword is going right for head. Pyrrha leans back, dodging attack, but that's exactly what you were expecting. You swoop your free hand down and grab Pyrrha's leg and pull her towards you. You let go of her leg and move your grip to her face, slamming her into the ground.

Pyrrha's legs flail in the air, but she uses that to her advantage. With the momentum, she flips her body around, kicking the back of your head with her legs. You fall forward, but still stay on your feet. Pyrrha, on the other hand, gets on her feet and attacks. She brings her knee to your face, knocking you back, the delivers an impressive eight hit combo through spins that, in your dazed state, are unable to block. She finishes by slashing you up a few feet in the air.

Ruby clenches her fist at the sight of you being beaten.

"Come on, you can do it," she whispers.

Ozpin notices Ruby's cheering, and can't help but silently chuckle.

You soar into the air… but… you smile. Beacon's just proving to be better and better. You spin yourself in the air, spin your blade to an icepick grip, and dive towards Pyrrha. She's surprised you're back in the fight so quickly. Other students have been knocked out with that combo. Pyrrha solidifies her stance and prepares herself. She raises her shield for defense. You draw your hand back, wait for the right moment, then, right in front of her, you slash. A loud roar erupts from the metal.

Pyrrha is pushed to the side from your pure strength. You land behind her, spin to keep your momentum, and attack from the side. Pyrrha notices the blade coming at her, and knows there's nothing she can do. Well, almost nothing. She raises one hand and activates her semblance, pushing the sword away just enough to miss her. With the unexpected movement, you're slightly off balance. You spin all the way around then duck, dodging a kick from the Spartan. You quickly turn, dragging your sword along the ground, and slice up. Once again, you somehow miss.

Pyrrha activates her javelin form and jabs you right in the stomach. However, you notice a small movement in her other wrist. As she does it, Crimson Blaze seems to fly out of your hand, landing a few feet away from you. You slam one hand on the ground to grind yourself to a halt, but Pyrrha doesn't give you a break. She runs at you, even though you have no weapon.

She spins her weapon around then slides onto one knee. Her weapon turns into some kind of rifle, which she begins firing at you.

"Hey! I never shot you!" You shout, dodging the bullets as you run at Pyrrha.

You jump into the air, front flip, then bring your heel down on Pyrrha. She manages to block it with her shield and send you back a few feet. Quickly she hounds you down, leaving you with no other option but to attack with no weapons.

Pyrrha seems to slide right past you and attempt to attack from the rear. You lower your upper body to the floor and kick Pyrrha in a similar fashion to what you did to Yang. Pyrrha soars in the air, but quickly comes down for another attack. You cartwheel backwards, getting out of the way of her heavy attack, but she quickly follows up with some quick slashes. You continue to flip and cartwheel away from Pyrrha, dodging every attack she throws at you, whether it's in javelin or xihpos mode, which she likes to switch between.

You finally get a second to counter attack, and hop on the chance. You land, drop your body to the floor, and sweep Pyrrha's feet. You push off that same leg to continue turning, then use your other leg to send your heel right into her neck, stopping her from falling over. You then pivot your foot so you can spin around once more, then use the same leg you kicked with to hit the other side of her head.

Pyrrha falters to the side a bit, but quickly attacks again with a lightning fast slice. You barely manage to lean back to dodge it, her blade just passing your nose. Your reflexes manage to catch Pyrrha's shield coming for an attack to, as her entire body turns to face you. You immediately push her shield down, then elbow her, all in one slick motion. With her balance disrupted she takes a few steps back to recover then comes in for another round.

She thrusts her blade at your chest. You clap your hands together on either side of Miló, slowing it down. Pyrrha takes a step forward and thrusts again. This time, it works, and the swords clocks you in the chest.

"You know, I think you have something against my chest," you mutter, annoyed at her constant jabbing.

Pyrrha spins around and slices your chest, zooms to your back and cuts there too. She returns to your front and tries to hit you with her shield. You duck under it then push it towards her blade, stopping it from attacking. You go for the elbow once again, then an open-handed uppercut to the jaw, and finish with a sturdy punch. You keep the pressure on by throwing a side kick, which she manages to block with her shield. You start low, then quickly raise your kicks to her head, then switch sides, forcing her to block with her sword. However, she isn't ready for the force of your kick, which results in you kicking her weapon across the room.

You take another step, flip around, and drive your foot into her chest. You land on that same foot and bolt off of it, attacking. You spin around and execute an elbow, which Pyrrha blocks with her shield. You look to your other side and attempt another elbow, which she guides away with her hand. With your back now to Pyrrha, you attempt to throw her off by repeatedly throwing elbows at her until an opening presents itself. Fortunately, after three, you decide to duck under her attempted block and punch her in the gut.

Pyrrha quickly brings her shield down on your arm, making you feel it. You use your other hand to punch her chest, then grab her shield arm and throw her over your shoulder. She gracefully lands away from you, but doesn't hold her breath. She turns around just in time to catch a punch from you. Instantly both your arms become nearly automatic. You both attempt to hit each other with your hands, and her shield. Ducking, bobbing, weaving, and blocking all take place ever second with no break at all. It's nearly a blur to those not fast enough to catch it.

But you know this won't get you anywhere, but at the same time you know your weapon isn't going to cut it. Which means…

You block one of her punches then jump into the air, quickly resting your feet on her shield and bouncing off it to gain some distance. Luckily you land near Crimson Blaze, and Pyrrha's already close to Miló. You both pick up your respective weapons, then face each other.

"You know, that's a nifty little ability you got there." Pyrrha instantly realizes what you're talking about. "Seems like this thing won't work as it is. Normally I wouldn't have to do this, but it seems against you, I have to."

You look up to the stands to where team RWBY is sitting.

"Hey Ruby! Remember when you asked what my sword could do? Or was it Weiss…" You contemplate it for a moment, then wave it off. "Whatever. Anyway, pay attention. You're going to see what Crimson Blaze can really do."

Glynda, standing in the back, raises her brow. She looks up at Ozpin, who has a small smile on his face. He's thinking the same thing she is.

 _So (Y/N) can use it too? But… it can't be as effective. Jet based that ability around his semblance. In theory, only Jet and Harrier can use it effectively. (Y/N) doesn't have the same semblance as them… so what's his plan?_

You lightly toss your sword into the air, only enough so the tip barely passes your head. You then grab the blade with your hand, squeezing hard enough to draw blood. The entire room, besides Ozpin and Glynda, are shocked at your actions. You watch as blood seeps out of your glove and onto the blade. You toss the blade in the air again and grab the hilt. Slowly, blood begins seeping out of your hand and crawling up to the blade. A deep red begins taking over the black. Soon enough, the entire blade is red, and blood continues to slowly attract itself to it.

"I can't really do this forever, so we should get going," you say.

You bolt towards Pyrrha, your blade staying at your side. You reach Pyrrha and attack, which she dodges to the right. Having your blade in the air, you turn and slice her. She counters with her own blade. You place both hands on the hilt and push against her. She's strong, no doubt, but you're strong too. Plus you have that genetic advantage. You manage to push Pyrrha back, forcing her stance to falter.

She hops back a bit, but that gives you an opportunity to strike. You slice her stomach armour, then circle your blade back for a downwards cut. Pyrrha moves backwards and tries to use her semblance, but it isn't working. You manage to hit her once again, damaging her aura. She stumbles back, then bursts forward to attack. Your swords clash, then clash again, and again.

You're matching each other blow for blow, bouncing around the arena. Large clashes erupt from every corner as if the place is going to crumble. You're smiling the entire time, enjoying every second of it. You can see why she's known as a powerful Huntress-in-training. You can feel the sweat slide down your face, and the pace of your heart going tenfold. Pyrrha's feeling the same. She's never faced someone so equal to her during her time at Beacon. But… she still hasn't.

You manage to parry Pyrrha's attack, disrupting her flow. You let go of your sword and ram your elbow into her stomach. You catch Crimson Blaze in your other hand, holding it in the icepick stance, pivot your body, and slam the hilt into her stomach as well. With a final move, you lower your body and slice upwards, sending Pyrrha in the air. Pyrrha flips a few times but manages to recover before you jump after her. She clashes with your initial attack, forcing you both to spin the in the air. You lift your leg up and go for a kick to the head, but she blocks it with her shield. You smirk.

"Defenses can crack, you know," you say.

You turn your foot and hook it on the shield. You pull your body towards it, throwing Pyrrha off what little balance she has in the air. You move your back to her, then sheathe your blade, stopping the flow of blood. You grab the sheath with two hands and move it in front of Pyrrha's neck, locking her to you. You force your body forwards. With Pyrrha hooked behind you, it's easy to get the momentum.

You both start spinning forward at a decent rate as you plummet to the ground. You make sure the timing is right, and slam Pyrrha against the ground as you land on your feet. You let go once impact occurs, which lets Pyrrha tumble on her back. You back flip away from Pyrrha and let out a sigh.

"Slam dunk, huh?" You snicker.

The lights start to turn on as Glynda walks into the arena.

"That's enough for now. Both of you were excellent, but it seems like (Y/N) has taken this victory."

Pyrrha gets to her feet. She has a smile on her face, then slowly approaches you.

"That was an excellent battle. It seems I still have more to learn."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," you smile, firmly shaking her hand. "It's not often that I have to use my blood. Honestly, you're insanely good."

"Thank you. I hope we can practice again soon."

You firmly shake one more time.

"Definitely," then let her hand go.

"Well, lets continue with the matches. Please return to your seats," Glynda requests, sending you two off.

Pyrrha heads back to the change room while you simply jump onto the side railing.

"(Y/N)!" Glynda shouts. "Why not use the stairs?"

You flip yourself over the railing and turn towards the teacher.

"Well… I don't know," you admit.

Glynda sighs.

You take a seat in front of team RWBY, but turn back to face them.

"You were awesome!" Ruby excitedly relays. "But… what exactly did you do with your sword?"

"Oh… well-"

"You augmented its prowess with your blood," Ozpin answers. "Though you held it back quite a bit."

You look up at Ozpin and instantly adopt a downcast face. You're overwhelmed with guilt from what happened yesterday. Ruby notices your change in expression. She snaps her fingers, grabbing your attention. You look over at her and are greeted with a warm smile and bright silver eyes. She nods at you. You smirk then wink back.

"Ozpin… can… we talk outside?" You request, a little dubious.

"Of course. Let's be on our way," he smiles, leading the way.

You job behind Ozpin then follow him. Team RWBY and JNPR watch as you leave with the headmaster. Not even a few seconds later Pyrrha returns to her team, taking a seat with Jaune.

"That was an amazing fight, Pyrrha! You were awesome!" Yang cheers.

"Seems you have an equal now," Ren comments.

Pyrrha shakes her head.

"No… no I don't. I have a better."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Weiss inquires.

"He didn't even use him semblance, while I had to. That alone is reason enough."

"And didn't Ozpin say that he held back?" Ruby adds.

Pyrrha looks down at her knees, thinking.

"But he was really cool! He was all over the place! And the way he spun around in the air at the end! So cool," Ruby coos.

"He was impressive. Makes me think what he's like when going all out," Blake ponders.

Pyrrha lets out a smile, though nobody notices it.

"I do to. I hope we fight again," she whispers.

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You and Ozpin leave the stadium and walk around the campus. There are a few students littering the premise, but they're few and far between. Ozpin lets out a humble sigh.

"You did well in your battle. I didn't expect you to use your blood."

"Oh, well," you rub the back of your head. "I had to. Her polarity made my sword ineffective, and I wasn't going to beat her hand-to-hand. Well… maybe… but either way, I didn't use THAT much blood so it was alright," you convey.

"How much training have you done with it?" Ozpin asks, looking down at you.

You think for a moment.

"Well… a lot. From what I know, I can do about everything that my dad could do, at least that's what my last headmaster said. But I don't use them as often."

"Ah, yes. You wouldn't recover as fast as Jet," Ozpin nods. "So you can do all of them?"

You nod.

"Yeah, all the ones I can think of. Extension, shield, the base augmentation, plus that blood energy, and that ground… thing. Not sure what to call it, but those last two take a lot out of me. Literally. So, I tend not to use those ones unless I absolutely have to."

"If I remember the design correctly, it will drain your blood until there's none left, correct?"

Once again, you nod.

"Yes, sir. Which is why I generally don't do more than just augment it. But… sir…"

"Sir? You don't have to call me sir when Glynda's not around."

"I… yeah, I know. But…" You stop and turn to him, filled with conviction. He stops and faces you. "I want to apologize. I didn't even hear you out and… I was so angry. I couldn't think straight, and I took it out on you. So, Ozpin, I'm sorry."

Ozpin smirks.

"Apology accepted. Now, would you like to continue our conversation from yesterday in private? I never did explain myself."

You harden your heart and nod, wanting to hear why you were tossed around like an unwanted shirt.

"Yes. This time I'll listen."

"Good. Come to my office. We'll pretend the first time never happened."

"Turn back the clock?" You snicker.

Ozpin stops. He slowly moves is head towards you and nods.

"Yes… turn back the clock."

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In almost no time at all, you both reach Ozpin's office. You have become more attuned to Beacon's layout so far, but it's still not ingrained in your mind. Ozpin takes a seat in his chair, while you sit across the desk from him, much like last time. You exhale, smile, and look at him.

"So… you're adopting me?" You lightly ask.

"I am indeed. You see, your father… he had a Will. If he and your mother were to die, you would be sent to various teachers around Remnant to train, in lieu of just training you himself. But obviously, being so young, you couldn't live on your own. Your father… he made lots of friends. Almost every Huntsman and Huntress knows the name Jet Slater, whether it be personally or not. So, training you and finding care for you was an easy task."

You remain silent, attentively listening to what Ozpin has to say. You can't help but feel warm at the thought of your father still looking after you. You don't remember a lot about your parents, but you do remember your dad training you to follow in his footsteps and become a Huntsman. He wanted you to be better than he was… just like Pyrrha was talking about.

"Knowing you would be sent around Remnant various times, there were designated homes for you to stay at, which you did. However, the truth was kept hidden from you. Why?" Ozpin stops, almost as if he's asking you. "I truly can't say. He just requested that you not know why. In fact, nobody was aware of where you'd be going until you got there. Remember, you'd be placed in a location, and your new family would pick you up and take you home?"

You nod. He's right. Even when you went to Atlas the family travelled all the way to Mistral to get you. When you think about it, nobody ever knew where you were, or where you'd go. Why would your father care about something like that?

"Well… after all this time, you're finally here. I was the only one who knew of every place you've been, every person who's trained you, and how you've grown up. Though I only ever visited you a few times, as you remember." Ozpin stands up and turns around, looking out the window with his hands behind his back. "Jet asked for me to be your God Father, and I accepted it. It's the least I could do for him. So, (Y/N) Slater, are you alright with this? Are you alright with me being your guardian?" He turns his head to face you. "Your… father?"

You leave your seat and walk up to Ozpin. He turns his whole body to face you. You both stare at each other, an odd tension filling the room. You smile and extend your hand.

"I think I can live with it," you joke.

Ozpin shakes your hand, happy with your decision.

"Alright. It will be official in a few short days," he says, returning to his seat. "Now, please get to class."

You acknowledge his request and begin to leave his office. The moment you enter the elevator Ozpin speaks up.

"But not before changing into your uniform that you neglected to put on."

You go to say something but the elevator doors shut and you begin descending. You frown, knowing Ozpin got the last laugh.

"Well… it is the way… fathers… are…" You hesitantly mumble to yourself.

 **And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed! I've been having a lot of fun writing RWBY. New characters, new settings, and new ideas always make for a happy writer. I appreciate you all taking the time to read, and I hope you stick around for more. Lord knows I have more coming. So, just on a note, I have been thinking more on the whole "Harem" thing that was requested. I still don't have a way for that to logically work, but I am thinking on it. I know it would please everyone if they got to romance all of team RWBY, but if I can't do it naturally then… well… I don't want to ruin all my plans just cause some people like to have women all over them xD**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **Oh, and for you on Fanfiction, I have something for you guys. On my bio is a poll for the next RWBY story. You get to choose which one I do next! Whatever has the most votes (please only vote once) will be the one I will focus more on. You know, making ideas, plot, etc. It just gives me a clear goal. So, if you want to steer the ship for me, choose a ship for me to board! Thank you all!**


	7. Chapter 7: Living Up to the Name

**Chapter 7: Living Up to the Name**

"Ahhhh," you groan, slamming your head against your desk.

Even though you aren't officially in any of the classes, Prof- No, Doctor Oobleck didn't let you go easy. Like the rest of the class, you have to hand in a four page essay on some person from a war you aren't very interested in. The biggest downside is that you haven't been in the class at all, while everyone else already has this knowledge. Even Jaune's doing better than you are, and that's saying something. You feel bad for thinking it, but in the short time you've known him, you can gather that he isn't an intellectual.

You don't have much of anything written down. You only know what was covered in class, but, having nothing to write on or with, you can only rely on what you remember. But the speedy professor talks and moves so fast that it was hard to take in everything he said. But that was also the second class of the day, which was hours ago. It's nearly night now, the sun lowering itself so the broken moon can take over.

You tug at your hair in frustration, letting out a moan. You aren't stupid, but it's hard to write about something you have little information on. You burst out of your chair and start pacing around your room, thinking of a way you can do this.

"Come on… I can't just not hand it in. Wait… why can't I? I'm not even part of the class! Glynda or Ozpin could back me up on that! Then again I feel like they would say '(Y/N)'," You begin impersonating Ozpin. "'It would be wise for you to prepare for next semester. You haven't learned much in the way of studying.' Or maybe Glynda would be like… actually I don't know what Glynda would be like. She seemed a little more lenient with me today. Hm… maybe I've finally worn her down," you say with a victorious smile, though it quickly fades. "Yeah, probably not. Likely she just didn't want to deal with me today. I mean, I don't know what her deal is," you say to yourself as you leave your room, intending to go outside.

"I think I'm quite the catch. I mean, I make people laugh, I'm a good fighter," you list, raising your fingers for each point. "I'm… what else am I, actually?" You ponder as you push the door open, walking out to the grounds of Beacon. "Well, I can say I'm not narcissistic, as I don't think I'm superbly awesome. Hm… Oh, I'm witty! Could I say that? I think Pyrrha implied it earlier today during our fight.

"Which was really fun, actually. It's been a while since I've had to use my blood. When was the last time, actually? Hm… I know Qrow made me use it, but that was years ago." You think back as you approach the edge of Beacon, facing the sunset. "I think Dior and Rogue wanted to see it once, but I didn't really use all its potential. Dior always likes studying things. Maybe he could find a way for me to not use as much blood? That would help. Rogue on the other hand…" You shudder at the thought of her. "Man… I haven't thought of her since I left. Well, mostly to counter the guilt of not telling them I was leaving. I know Onyx, Kin, and Dior will understand, but Rogue? No… no she was probably really mad. Well, it's not like I'll see her for a while," you shrug, staring at the sunset. "I'm cross that bridge when I get to it. It's not like I'll have to fear for my life or anything."

You turn around making sure nobody can see you or is in earshot of you. You realize you just had an entire monologue, but you spoke it instead of just thinking it. You do that sometimes, but not very often. The slight stress of working on the essay must have sparked it. You sigh.

 _At least nobody heard me._

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"Aaaand, done. How's everyone else doing?" Weiss asks, writing the last word on her page before looking at her teammates.

"I'm so booored. Why do we need to write an essay," Ruby childishly complains, shoving her face in her pillow.

"Actually, I'm doing pretty swell this time. These notes I got work wonders," Yang smiles.

"You actually took good notes?" Blake snickers, wanting to believe her teammate.

"Well, no… some guy thought he could get my attention through school. I'm not turning down free notes though," Yang winks.

Weiss face palms at Yang's actions.

"Oh, oh, can I use them?" Ruby pleads, hopping off her bed and walking towards Yang.

Yang smiles and shakes her head.

"Nope, sorry sis. You gotta do it yourself," she teases.

Ruby breaks out the puppy dog eyes, knowing that her sister can't resist them. Yang stares into Ruby's "adorable face". She's used it since they were kids, and it used to just be a joke. Of course Yang can still say no, but, as a big sister, she has to let Ruby think she has SOME power of her.

Yang clicks her tongue.

"Alright Rubes, but you owe me a cookie next time you get them," Yang says as she passes Ruby her notes.

Ruby quickly snatches them up and nods.

"Yep, sure. I'm alright with-

"Oh, and I'm witty! Could I say that? I think Pyrrha implied it earlier today during our fight. Which was really fun, actually. It's been a while since-"

The voice, as quickly as it came, goes. Ruby turns towards the window, which is where she heard the voice. She keeps her grip tight on the notes, as to not drop them as she pokes her head out the window. She sees you, making some hand motions and talking to yourself as you continue to talk.

"What is he doing?" Ruby whispers to herself. "I wonder if he's angry again. Maybe… he needs someone to talk to again…"

Now determined to help you, Ruby leaps over to her bed and throws the notes onto it. She quickly swipes the book you lent her and heads for the door.

"Thanks Yang, you're the best. I'll be back in a minute!"

"Ruby, where are you-" Yang calls out, but it's too late, as Ruby's long gone.

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You stare out at the sunset, remembering that this very day was when you got to appreciate a sun rise as well. You also got to appreciate knocking over a column with Yang. You're lucky that's still standing strong, and it looks like nobody's noticed yet. It was a fun time with Yang, you can't deny it. She's got a certain spunk to her. She's the girl who could show you a wild ride around Vale. Maybe you should ask her about it some time.

You take a step closer to the edge of the grounds and look down at the huge drop into water. You lean back and take a seat, letting your feet dangle off the edge. You stare at the sun, thinking of… well, nothing. You're just enjoying the view.

"Hey," a young voice calls out.

You can tell she's a little timid, but very slightly. You lean back setting your arms back to keep your body up. However you keep leaning, looking upside down at the girl. Ruby, who looks like she's hanging off the ground. Ruby can't help but giggle at your silly stance. You smile at that.

"What's up little Red?" You cheerily ask.

Ruby saunters towards you.

"I… I heard you talking."

Your eyes widen, embarrassed that someone heard you. You huff, then spin your head back to face the sun. Ruby moves beside you and bends down, hugging her knees as her cloak rustles against the ground.

"I remember last time I heard you talking to yourself, you were really upset. I just wanted to make sure you're okay," she innocently asks.

You move your hand up to her hair and russle it.

"Hey!" She squeals, trying to knock your hand away, but in the process, she falls on her but. With her lack of balance, she falls towards you, leaning on your shoulder. Using the same hand you messed her hair up with, you place your hand on her shoulder, giving her some stability.

"Whoa there, Little Red," you chuckle, keeping her steady.

Ruby pushes her legs forward, falling on her butt.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to fall for you- I mean on you! You just made me fall so it was for you so I fell for you but on you-"

You cover Ruby's mouth, staring softly into her silver eyes.

"Ruby, don't worry about it," you snicker. "I shouldn't have messed with your hair anyway." You remove your hand from her mouth. "And thank you for coming to visit me. I'm not mad… well… maybe a little confused on that project we got but, other than that I'm fine."

Ruby exhales in relief. But, at the same time, her stomach churns. She's never acted this way around guys before. Then again, she's only really talked to Jaune, and he's more like a klutzy big brother than anything else. There's Ren and Sun too, but she's not as friendly with them as Jaune. Then there's you, the new guy, the one she's spent a lot of time with in the last few days and have gotten into some interesting predicaments, embarrassing and humbling.

"Sorry… I think my mind's a little on the fritz too with the essay. How're you doing with it?" She asks, trying to get a steady conversation going.

"Terrible," you exclaim. "I don't know any of the notes about this guy, and I haven't been in your class. I got nothing at all," you huff.

Ruby thinks for a second, looking down at her dangling legs.

"Hm… well, I think I have an extra set of notes you can borrow, if you want," she proposes.

You turn your head to her.

"Really? You're serious?"

She nods.

"You… are a life saver, Little Red. Thank you," you say, sincerely.

Ruby smiles, knowing she once again helped you. You both look out at the sunset, enjoying the sun's rays glistening off the surface of the water below. You take a quick glance at Ruby. Her eyes really reflect the light, making them sparkle. It even compliments her pale complexion, even if you can really only see her face and hands. Ruby notices you're looking at her and turns to you with a questioning look.

"What's up?" She inquires.

"Nothing… Just enjoying the moment," you respond, looking back at the sunset. "It's been a while since I've really been relaxed, you know? Before… I never knew whether I'd be staying in one place or not. I would enjoy everything I did and care about the people around me, but… there was always that thought that I may not be staying. Now… I don't know. It's like seeing things differently. I mean, the thought of leaving still bounces around in my head, but now that I've been told the truth and 'officially'," you gesture air quotes with one hand. "Adopted… it just makes me calm. I know I'll be able to stare at this sunset every day for as long as I want. I know I can make friends with you and all the others without worrying that I'll be pried away from you all. And I know it's only been a day, but… it's almost like my body feels lighter from not having to worry. But then again," you start, your voice changing from serious to joking. "I'm given this stupid assignment making me wish I was out of here."

Ruby shakes her head.

"Don't say that. Everyone likes you here!"

"Huh… really?"

Ruby nods, getting excited.

"Yeah! I like you, and Yang does too. I can tell that Pyrrha and Jaune like you too. Weiss does, but she doesn't want to admit it."

You chuckle.

"That does sound like Weiss. Has she always been like… the way she is," you inquire, still chuckling.

Ruby nods.

"Yeah. The first time she met we exploded and she yelled at me."

You burst out laughing.

"Y-You did? How did that happen?"

Ruby pouts, crossing her arms.

"I didn't mean to. I sneezed and her dust exploded and she got mad and… well, that was before we were a team. She didn't really like me back then."

"Aww, who couldn't like someone as adorable as you," you casually smile, raising her spirits.

Ruby stiffens and blushes. She's never been called adorable before. She's never been complimented by a guy before. This is new, and weird to her. But you said it so casually and with no hint of sleaziness or even romance in it. It was just a statement. Ruby brushes it off, not thinking about it. Maybe it's just the way you talk and she has to get used to it.

"Ah, yeah… huh… uh..." Ruby mumbles, not sure how to respond to being called adorable.

"Oh yeah, you fought well during training. Who was that guy you fought again? Dole?"

Ruby snaps into reality, happy that the subject has been changed.

"Oh, ahh, Dove! He's on team CRDL. Yeah, that wasn't too bad. But your fight with Pyrrha couldn't be topped by anyone!"

You wave your hand at her.

"Nah, it wasn't that impressive," you deny.

"It was! I mean, we've all seen Pyrrha in action, which is awesome, but you're the first one to match her! And that thing you did with your sword and your hand… what was that?"

"Oh, well," you raise your left hand, palm up, and wait for a moment. Within seconds, Crimson Blaze lands in your hand. You pull out the blade and display it in front of Ruby. "So, the sword basically siphons my blood and uses it as a boost, hence why the sword turned red," you explain.

You quickly cut your right hand and allow the power to activate. Ruby flinches a bit, but doesn't freak out since you're so calm.

"You see, it keeps draining my blood until, well, I have no blood left. I've never been in that position before though. Anyway, with my blood, I can do a variety of different things. But, the more powerful ability I use, the more blood is taken. For instance…"

You point your blade towards Vale. In a second, the blood blade extends forwards, going at a pretty fast speed. However, Ruby notices that the flow of blood coming out of you has increased dramatically.

"The farther it goes, the more blood I use," you explain.

You let the technique subside, retracting the blade back to its original length.

"It's helpful, but dangerous, and that's only one of the things I can do. Obviously I can't show you everything, but you get the idea, right?"

Ruby nods.

"I do, and it's amazing. I designed Crescent Rose myself, but I never thought of anything like this. How did your dad come up with it?" She inquisitively asks, getting excited over weapon talk.

You look down at the deep red blade.

"Well, it mostly had to do with my father's semblance. From what I was told, as I was too young to remember, my father had a healing semblance. He could recover extremely fast from most wounds. I think his limit was lethal hits and dismemberment. He couldn't recover an arm, for instance. Though… I don't know if he tried or not. Well, whatever. Anyway, apparently his healing semblance would replace the blood as fast as he'd lose it, so using the more powerful techniques with Crimson Blaze didn't pose as much of a threat to him as it does to me."

Ruby takes in all of what you say, paying a lot of attention to the details.

"So, why do you use the blood anyway? Was Pyrrha that strong?"

"What? Oh no, not at all. I mean, she was strong, but… well, her polarity made it difficult," you admit, slouching a bit.

"Her polarity? She used it on you?" Ruby asks. "I didn't notice."

"Well, she used it subtly. Honestly, if I wasn't the one holding the blade then I might not have noticed either. But she managed to re-direct my sword, causing me to miss. That's why I needed to go a step further. If she didn't have that, then I wouldn't have needed to. But I won't deny she was a tough opponent."

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Yang and Weiss stand a fair distance back, but still in ear shot. Yang, being the caring sister she is, had to see what Ruby's sudden outburst was about. To little surprise, it was about you.

"They seem really involved in their conversation," Weiss points out.

"Yeah," Yang half-heartedly answers. "Ruby looks really happy."

Just as Yang says that both you and Ruby burst out into laughter. Yang cracks a small smirk at her sister's happiness.

"What is it? What's with that look," Weiss asks.

"It's just… we don't know him. He almost seems like he's hiding things. Like that-"

"The scar on his back," Weiss mutters.

Yang raises her brow.

"You've seen it?"

Weiss nods.

"I have. We talked a bit back. I saw it, but he didn't seem willing to share much about it."

Yang turns back to you two.

Though Weiss is curious about it too, your words you said that night echo in your head. She doesn't know why, but she trusts you to a degree.

"I wouldn't worry Yang. I doubt Ozpin would have brought him here if he was a bad person. And… well, not everyone wants to share their entire past right away. Take Blake as an example."

"Yeah… I suppose. I guess I shouldn't be so protective. I think some of dad is rubbing off on me," she chuckles. "Let's leave'em alone. If she's gone too long than I know who to interrogate."

"Don't you mean ask?" Weiss corrects.

"I know what I said."

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You continue to smile as Ruby laughs such a childish laugh. You slowly start laughing just because of hers. It's contagious. Due to your laughing, neither of you noticed Weiss and Yang watching you. And neither of you notice a certain Headmaster approaching you. Ozpin waits a moment as you laugh, make small remarks, and laugh even harder at those. He bears a humble smile at your happiness, but unfortunately he has to interrupt.

He covers his mouth and coughs, getting your attention. You twist your body to see who it is, and immediately relax at the sight of Ozpin.

"Hey Ruby, come with me," you encourage, flipping your body over and standing up.

Ruby, still in a completely happy state, follows you like a puppy. She sees Ozpin and waves.

"Hello Professor."

"Good evening Ms. Rose," he greets, then turns to you. "(Y/N), would you accompany me to the city?"

"Oh? What's the occasion?" You question.

"Well, did I not promise you that dinner?" He coyly smiles.

Your eyes instantly widen and your face lights up.

"Steak?"

Ozpin nods.

You smile, internally cheering. You turn to Ruby, who's chuckling at YOUR childish excitement. You fish your scroll out of your pocket and hand it to Ruby.

"Hey, Little Red, take this and, if you could, leave those notes on my desk?"

Ruby nods.

"Sure, I can do that. Have a good night, (Y/N). Professor."

Ruby takes your scroll and starts walking away.

"Hey Ruby!"

Ruby turns her head back at you.

"We'll catch the sunset another time. Promise," you smile.

A slow smile creeps onto Ruby's face.

"Yeah… That'd be cool," she admits, slightly blushing.

Luckily you don't notice, as you turn to Ozpin too quickly.

"So, are we going?"

"Yes, in a moment. I have something to finish up here, so I'll catch up with you. I have someone reserving a table for us as we speak. Wait with them until I arrive."

You nod, not even thinking to question who this person is.

"So, how do I get there?"

"Transportation will arrive in a moment. Just be patient," he responds.

Ozpin takes his leave, slowly walking away with that cane of his. You lazily clap your hands and drift around the area, never stopping.

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Vale is nice at this time of night. It took a short while to get to Vale, and in that time the sun went down which gave way to the night life. It's not the weekend yet, however, so you're still holding some higher expectations for what goes on here. You're definitely going to make Yang take you out and show you the right and wrong places to go, so you can visit both. You're taking the long way to the restaurant for two reasons. One being you're not too sure where you're going. You have a general idea, thanks to the pilot of the ship that flew you in, and you should be heading for the "white" area. He describes it as a lot of bright lights and fancier people. You've noticed some upper class people all conveying to one area, so you assume that's the spot. The other reason is that you're just enjoying the place, similar to what you were doing earlier when watching the sunset.

But, you've fooled around enough, and you can tell people are getting uneasy at the sight of your weapon, which, in retrospect, you should have given to Ruby for her to leave in your room. But, the past is the past, and it's best to be ready for any kind of commotion. With your head held high and your body totally relaxed, you proceed to the meeting place.

Of course, the moment you reach this higher end area, everyone starts to look at you funny. Lots of suits, both men and women, but, to no surprise, you don't see any Faunus here. It's a shame, really. Though, from what you've observed, Vale doesn't seem to be too harsh when it comes to the Faunus. It's a shame that the White Fang are ruining everything. You can hear whispers among the crowd about them. Some sort of dust heist or something. The word Faunus is being tainted by the very existence of the violent White Fang. Then again, these people are probably biased against Faunus to begin with.

You pick out a glowing sign, which is harder than you thought since there are a plethora of neon signs attracting people like moths to a flame. As you get closer to your destination you notice pick out someone from the crowd. They're standing in front of the building you're supposed to go. They have their hands crossed, knee bent, and leaning on their back hip.

"Blonde hair… a bun… No way," you say, realizing who this might be.

Once you get closer there's no mistaking it. Ms. Glynda Goodwitch is the one who'll be accompanying you and Ozpin. She's actually in different clothes than her usual teacher outfit. In fact, she looks drop dead gorgeous right now. She may still be wearing her glasses, but her entire teacher look has gone right out the window. She's wearing a white, sleeveless dress that hugs every inch of her body. Around the waist, under the breasts, is a black lace design that loops around, leaving some spots open to let the white colour flourish. There is a collar that starts close by the neck, and extends to the sides as it reaches the rest. The collar circles around her neck, keeping most of her back hidden. Opposed to her usual outfit, she has nothing covering her legs, letting their perfection shine.

You can't help but let your mouth fall. She looks gorgeous. Amazing. You've never seen her like this but… it's astonishing. Glynda looks over at you and notices your expression. She isn't quite sure what you're marveling at, so she just approaches you, walking in an unintentionally attractive manner.

"You're finally here. What took you so long? And close your mouth, you're in public," she lectures, pushing your jaw up.

You shake your head and look at her, still slightly dazed. She examines you, disappointed at your lack of preparation. You're just in your normal jacket, shirt, and jeans.

"Could you not have dressed nicer? And… is that Crimson Blaze? You brought your… weapon… to dinner…" Glynda slows down, making a connection.

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 _Never in her life has she been so flustered, so confused, and so mad at herself. Glynda Goodwitch, a student who wanted to focus completely on being a Huntress, is having trouble choosing a dress for her date._

" _No! Not a date. He said it wasn't a date. I said it wasn't a date. I don't want it to be a date… I don't," she repeats, conviction faltering with every breath._

 _Glynda doesn't know what she wants. She doesn't know what Jet wants. She doesn't even know if Jet will show! He left a few hours ago to "get things ready" as he called it, and allowed Glynda to prepare. But she can't choose a dress. It's impossible. Does she want to look great? Maybe show off a little… NO! She isn't like that. She isn't trying to impress anyone. She isn't. She is. ISN'T!_

 _Glynda huffs as she falls onto her bed. She's never felt like this before. What about Jet is making her so paranoid. She wants to look good for him. She wants to impress him. She wants him to think she looks good. Of course she isn't ever self-conscious, but something about this night makes her wants to look the best she can. Glynda gets off her bed and returns to her dress._

" _Okay… What would I want to wear? Hm… But where is he taking me? I don't even know! What if I wear a dress to a club? What if I wear casual clothes to a fancy restaurant? He could have at least told me," she snarls, not truly mad at him._

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

 _Glynda shockingly looks at the door dreading who that could be._

" _Who is it?" She asks in a calm voice, inner panic racing through her body._

" _Well I was out to pick up a cute girl, but I'm going to have to settle for the beautiful one behind this door."_

 _Glynda rolls her eyes, but can't help but smile at the comment._

" _Jet… I'll be out in a moment," she pleasantly informs._

 _Internally she's freaking out. She has some make-up done, but not a lot. On top of that, she still doesn't have a dress! Glynda quickly scans over what she has and quickly grabs the one that stands out. She quickly slips it over her undergarments and makes sure her hair wasn't too messed up. It's in a traditional bun that lets the bangs hang a bit. She exhales, getting rid of the last minute jitters. She twirls herself around, getting a last minute look at herself before leaving._

 _Jet leans against the wall across from Glynda's room. His arms are crossed, his eyes are closed, and his smile is wide. He's made sure everything is prepared for tonight. He's going to blow Glynda's mind._

 _Just as he gets comfortable, he hears the door open. His eyes shoot open to see the goddess in front of him. She's not wearing her glasses, which gives him a look at her dazzling green eyes, and of course her hair is as perfect as ever. Seeing her in anything other than the school uniform is surprising, but her dress just shakes him to the core. A beautiful blue dress that ties around her neck, leaving her arms and back completely bare. It shows a little more cleavage than he would imagine her having, but he isn't complaining. It hugs her figure until her legs, then falls down to the ground, sparkling the entire way._

 _Glynda looks at the now suited Jet, which is an odd sight for her. But, she's happy she chose the right attire. He looks undoubtably handsome-NO! This is a friends thing. Nothing more. Still, the attire they both chose indicates otherwise. Then, Glynda notices something near Jet's waist. Her eyes drop and she huffs._

" _You brought your weapon?" She points out._

" _You… look amazing," he whispers, though Glynda can hear it. "You look absolutely gorgeous, Glynda."_

" _S-Stop! Don't say things like that," she retorts, flustered and red._

 _Jet smiles, knowing he got to her. He looks down at his weapon and sighs. He didn't want to leave it, but this is a special occasion. He unattaches the belt and throws the whole ensemble into her room._

" _Hey!" She shouts._

" _I can pick it up when I drop you off, don't worry," he assures, moving beside Glynda. "Shall we?"_

 _Glynda smiles._

" _Yes… we shall."_

 _With their arms linked, Jet and Glynda make their way out of the school and into town. Of course Jet can't take the most direct route, and instead leads Glynda all over town. But, somehow, for some reason, Glynda doesn't care. She's having far too much fun with Jet to care. From his silly one-liners, his surprisingly intelligent explanation of the city, and his perfectly timed compliments, Glynda is seeing a Jet that she's never been shown before._

 _But, eventually, they find their way to the restaurant that Jet planned for. To Glynda's surprise, it's a very expensive, very high-end restaurant._

" _Jet, I'm impressed. This isn't what I had in mind when you invited me out," Glynda admits, happy about being wrong._

" _Well, I'm not one to hold back. Especially when I'm just your 'distraction'," he chuckles._

 _The two enter the restaurant and, to Glynda's surprise, it's empty. She raises her brow, looking around._

" _Where is everyone? Wouldn't this place be full?" She questions aloud._

" _Well," Jet starts with a cocky smile on his face. "Normally it would be, unless," he puts his hand behind his back and saunters in front of Glynda, putting on an obviously fake innocent look. "A certain Huntsman-in-Training rented the place out for the night."_

" _Jet… you didn't."_

 _He nods._

" _I did. Come on, it's just you and I, Glynda," he says, stretching his hand out to her._

 _Glynda stares in awe at Jet. He's put so much effort into this night, for her! Nobody's ever done this for her before. Nobody even really talked to her at school. Only Jet did. Only Jet put this much into making her night. Only Jet put this much effort in to being her "distraction"._

 _Glynda lightly grabs Jet's hand, blushing. This isn't about being a distraction. This is about the two of them._

 _So, they sit. A waiter comes to greet them, referring to them by name. Of course once the food arrived it was simple conversation and laughs. One thing stuck out to Glynda when the food got there._

" _Hey Glynda, wanna see something cool?" He coyly asks._

 _Glynda shrugs, picking at her salad._

" _Sure, what is it?"_

 _Jet grabs the sharpest knife and starts tossing it in the air, catching it, and tossing it again. He's just being a show off, but it is amusing._

" _Jeez, Jet, don't cut you-"_

 _As the words come out of her mouth, Jet misses the handle, and instead, the blade slices his palm, cutting deep. Jet sighs at the failure._

" _Ah… damnit…"_

" _Jet! Are you okay?" Glynda shrieks, seeing how deep the cut is._

 _She grabs Jet's hand and examines it. But, something shocking happens. She watches as the skin starts re-growing, healing the wound in less than ten seconds. Glynda, still in shock, just stares at his hand._

" _It's my Semblance, Glynda. Don't worry," he calmly smiles, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But I appreciate you being so concerned about me."_

 _Glynda looks away for a moment, embarrassed._

" _I thought you hurt yourself, idiot," she pouts._

" _Well, I appreciate the sentiment."_

" _Wait… did you do that on purpose?" Glynda questions, changing from concerned to annoyed._

" _What? Me? I'd never do anything like that," Jet waves off._

" _You did!"_

 _After a swift slap, the two continue their meal with no other problems. Of course Jet made jokes, but Glynda took the opportunity to make some jokes herself, which made Jet proud. But alas, they both had to return to their school eventually. So, after a pleasant walk back, they arrive back at Glynda's room._

 _Glynda stops in front of her door, hesitates, and then turns to Jet._

" _I… had a good time, Jet. Thank you."_

" _Not bad for a distraction, eh? I try my best," he confidently says, crossing his arms._

" _So… I…"_

" _Can I come in?" He abruptly asks._

 _Glynda freezes, completely caught off guard with the request._

" _My sword's in there, remember," he clarifies, chuckling at Glynda's state._

" _Oh… oh, yeah, of course," she says, fumbling with her door._

 _She finally gets it open and pushes her way into the room. She sees his sword ahead of her._

" _It's there," she says, turning around. "Is ther-"_

 _And her lips are sealed, no, blocked. In a moment, Jet's lips are pressing against hers. It's soft and gentle, but so much emotion is behind it. Glynda melts into the kiss instantly, closing her eyes and wrapping her hands around his neck. Jet slides his hands down to her hips and pulls her in a bit, deepening the kiss._

 _Here is Glynda Goodwitch having her first kiss after a first "distraction". But… it feels right. Her heart's beating out of her chest, her mind's on fire. It seemed to go on forever, but they require air. Jet slowly breaks off, their lips still so close together. His eyes slowly open, staring at Glynda who's still dazed by the kiss. Her eyes start to flutter open. She giggles when she sees Jet's face. She's never been so giddy before._

" _Thought I'd end it with a bang," Jet smiles._

" _You… you definitely did… I… Heh…"_

 _Jet slightly moves in, allowing their lips to touch, but not enough to initiate a kiss._

" _So, can I keep being your distraction?"_

" _Yeah…" She titters. "Yeah you can."_

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"You stole my heart that night…" Glynda mumbles, lost in her own world.

You raise your brow, wondering what just happened. Glynda's just sort of staring at you, but she isn't staring AT you. It's more just in your direction.

"Um… Ms. Goodwitch?" You murmur, attempting to release the awkward tension that has seized the area.

Glynda finally comes back to normal, shaking her head a bit.

"Oh… my apologies Je- (Y/N)!" She quickly corrects. "Let's… just get inside. We'll discuss your attire later."

You huff, not looking forward to that talk, but you're also happy that she's back to normal. You even let out a smirk that she doesn't see. Glynda leads you inside and to a table in the far corner of the restaurant. The tables are all covered in a white cloth with small baskets of bread sitting in the middle, surrounded by condiments and even a candle. That won't cause any problems. The area you're occupying is right at the back, in a corner. No windows around you, and a lot of space.

 _Hm… You picked this place, Ozpin? It's got tactics written all over it. I'm even going to guess…_

When you and Glynda approach the table you head for the chair in the very corner.

"That's Professor Ozpin's seat," Glynda warns you.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't know," you say, then smirk.

 _I knew it. He's untouchable in this spot._

You and Glynda take a seat opposite of each other. This table only seems to be fit for four. Ozpin is going to be on your left with nobody in front of him. Full view of everything. So, until Ozpin finishes whatever he's doing, it's only you and the beautiful Glynda Goodwitch. Your eyes can't help but drift towards the transformed teacher. Of course, being observant, she notices all your stolen glances. She wants to chew you out over it. She's your teacher! But, her memory is getting in her way. She just can't get Jet out of her head, and you remind her so much of him.

"Are your classes going well?" Glynda inquires, starting a conversation.

"Oh? Uh… yes! They are! Attending all of them, I swear!" You frantically tell her.

Glynda sighs.

"Okay… look… for now, and this night, I'm not your teacher. So there's no need to be nervous around me," Glynda explains, attempting to be as nice as possible.

You can tell her words are genuine. She means what she's saying. Maybe she's completely scary. Maybe there's more to her than meets the eye.

You let out a breath, releasing any panic you have.

"Okay… so, Glllyyynda?" You stretch out her name. Glynda nods her head. "Glynda, alright. So, what exactly is Ozpin doing?"

Glynda shrugs.

"I'm not too sure myself. The man is a mystery sometimes, even to me. But I'm certain he's doing something important. Being a Headmaster is a busy job, you know."

You rest your arms on the table and place your chin on them. Glynda lightly smacks your elbow.

"We're in a restaurant, sit properly!"

You shoot up, posture perfect and hands on the table. Glynda sighs and shakes her head.

"Did you ever learn proper etiquette?"

You think back a moment, cocking your head to the side.

"No… not really. I mean, Atlas tried, but Atlas etiquette is just military etiquette, and that didn't interest me in the slightest. Most of the time I was just trained."

"Really?"

You lightly nod.

"Mhm. I guess each family thought the one before had taught me already. Maybe they just didn't bother since… I was… going to be leaving anyway," you hesitantly finish, still not overly comfortable about the entire situation.

Glynda can see the discomfort painted all around you. The awkward movements, the fiddling of your fingers, your entire body language. It's an easy giveaway that you no doubt inherited from your father. Jet had the same telltales as well, and Glynda memorized them all to a T. Seems that knowledge will still help her with his son.

"Well, from what I've gathered, Ozpin will be your new guardian. Am I correct?"

"Yeah, which is a nice thing to know. It's like Beacon is my family now," you say with a goofy smile.

Glynda can't help but smile with you. In the moment of silence, a waiter comes by and leaves two glasses of water for both of you. Glynda wraps her fingers around it but doesn't drink any yet. You immediately drink half the contents, slamming it on the table and letting out a satisfied "Ah".

Ozpin takes up a little more time than you both thought. At least, you think he did. Somehow, you and Glynda end up having a good conversation while you wait. She asks you a lot about your past homes and what sort of training you did, while you inquire about her teaching job, and even her semblance. The tension and fear you once felt around Glynda has dissipated completely. For the first time since you got here, you feel like she's just another person, like Ruby or Jaune, instead of your teacher. So, you talk to her as if she was just a person.

"Thankfully Ruby's giving me some notes, but I just hate writing this," you complain, talking about the essay.

"I think it's a good idea. You need to get into a school routine. Second semester isn't far, you know. It won't be as optional as it is now."

"It's not very optional," you chuckle. "But it's funny how you're so invested in my education. You're like my mother," you joke, looking at the rest of the restaurant.

You don't even see Glynda's instant change. Her face tenses up, eyes widen, and body stiffens. Her heart is pounding so hard and so fast that she can't

"M-Mom…" Glynda whispers, nearly traumatized at your words.

You notice Ozpin enter the building and start walking towards your table. You wave at him, which he returns with a bow of his head. His eyes drift to Glynda, and he notices her distressed state.

He walks behind you, patting your shoulder with his free hand.

"My apologies for the wait you two," Ozpin conveys, leaning his staff against the table and taking a seat at the head.

"It's alright Ozpin, Glynda and I have just been chatting," you wave off.

"Glynda, hm?" Ozpin questions, turning his gaze to Glynda, who's still deep in through.

"Yes… but… I think I'll be taking my leave," she hesitantly says, standing up.

"No, stay!" You interject. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind, right Ozpin?" You ask, turning to him.

Ozpin shrugs.

"I'm not opposed to the idea. But if you have other things to do then I would hate to keep you."

"No," she snaps. "I have to go."

Glynda quickly collects herself and walks away. You stand up and attempt to go after her but Ozpin interjects.

"I'll talk with her, don't worry. Please, sit."

You look back at Ozpin, then to the fleeing Glynda. You have no idea why she changed so quickly, and why she's leaving. But, you follow Ozpin's advice and sit down.

You slouch, resting your head on your hands. Suddenly waiters come by, setting up food for three. You move yourself out of the way for the exquisitely made steak and sides, while Ozpin's having… something you don't recognize. Before they put down Glynda's food Ozpin raises his hands.

"It will just be the two of us tonight."

The waiter nods his head and walks away with Glynda's meal.

"So, (Y/N)," Ozpin starts, properly cutting up his food. "What were you and Glynda talking about before I arrived?"

You lean back in your chair and think.

"We… we were talking about this stupid essay I have to write even though I'm not really in the class. Of course she thought it was a good idea and told me I should be getting used to school life."

"Hm… Anything else?"

"Um… not really. It was just that and then she left. I… oh, I made a joke about her being like a mom, but it was a throwaway line," you explain, taking a bite of your food.

"Oh?" Ozpin comments, shaking his head a bit. "Well, the answer is clear."

You raise your brow.

"It is? How?"

"(Y/N)," Ozpin interlocks his hands together. "You don't know much about your father's youth, do you?"

You're taken back by this question a bit. You weren't expecting this at all.

"No… I don't know much about it. What does my dad have to do with anything?"

"Glynda… she knew your father. She knew him very well. But Jet left her, and eventually met your mother."

You start coughing halfway through eating. You pat your chest with your fist, trying to swallow the food.

"They were dating?" You cough.

Ozpin nods.

"Yes. For a long time, in fact. It's fair to say they loved each other."

"Then… why would dad leave her?" You ask, though doubtful Ozpin would know the answer.

"I don't know. But, please, try to understand Glynda's situation. You are the child of a man who not only left her, but left this world as well. You're the only reminder of his life, and here you are at Beacon, being trained under Glynda. She's a strong woman, but Jet is one of her few weaknesses, thus, you are one as well. So, you saying she's like a mother to you… well… I hope you can see how it would upset her," Ozpin says, remaining ever so calm.

"But… why didn't she tell me?" You question, not even interested in your meal anymore.

"Would you want to bring up such painful memories? Perhaps it's why she's so hard on you, and why she's so nice to you."

You slump in your chair, processing the information. You had no idea, yet Glynda acted so kind to you. She tried her best to bury it away and teach you, even spend a night with you. But… it was all a façade. She was hurting, whether she wanted to admit it or not. You furrow your brow, filling yourself with determination.

"I have to find her," you declare, standing up.

"It's no use now. She'll nearly be at Beacon now. You can talk to her when we get back. For now, I would like to spend some time with you, too. You are my son now."

You rub your head at the awkwardness of that statement.

"Yeah… that's true. Is it weird for you to say that? That you're my 'dad'?" You inquire, doing everything in your power to take your mind off Glynda.

Ozpin looks down at his food.

"Hm… I'm not sure. I've known this will happen for years now, and thus prepared for it. But I can see how you might not be accustomed to it yet. You haven't called anyone 'mother' or 'father' in ten years."

"Yeah… that's true," you mumble, pushing around some food on your plate. "So… how well did you know my father?"

"I suppose you could say we were close friends. But even as close friends, he liked hiding things from me. I suppose it was fair, since he always said 'I swear, sometimes I know more about Grimm mating cycles than you'" Ozpin says, slightly chuckling at the memory.

You can't help but let out a laugh too.

"Ew, he knew SOMETHING about Grimm mating cycles? I didn't even know they had mating cycles!"

"I think that was the point," Ozpin says. "But, nevertheless, he was a close friend of mine. I'm glad I'll be able to see his son grow."

You sort of fidget as his words. If it was Glynda you might have even blushed. Glynda…

"I guess," you say in a downcast manner.

Ozpin can easily tell that you're still worried about Glynda. It's comforting to know you care so much about others, even those who are older and more experienced than you. Ozpin smirks.

"(Y/N)." You look up at him. "Can you make me a promise?"

"I guess. What is it?"

Ozpin adjusts his glasses a bit.

"Never compromise what you believe in. Always do what you think is right, no matter how many people are against you."

He pauses, letting his words sink in. You don't know where that came from, and before you can question him he says one more thing.

"It's how Slaters live. All of them."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You're back at Beacon after a moderately successful dinner. After the serious talk, Ozpin became a lot more lighthearted, and you ended up talking about all the places you've visited… again. But, it didn't really bother you. It seems to be a different conversation every time you discuss it with another person. But, the whole time, in the back of your mind, you thought of Glynda.

It's almost like the perfect setting: the moon is high and shining bright, the winds are gusting but not making it too cold, the night is young. It's time to face Glynda. Surprisingly, she's at the very edge of campus, staring off into nothingness. It's a shame she doesn't enjoy your docking area view.

She's still in her dress, which is latching on to her body, unlike her hair, which is flowing with the wind. You take in a deep breath, preparing yourself, the confidently walk towards her. You stop beside her, and speak before she can.

"I see you prefer the more refined views. I suppose my docking area isn't good enough, huh?" You start with a lighthearted joke.

"(Y/N)?" He exclaims. "What are… why are you here?"

"Ozpin told me about you and my dad." Glynda retracts a bit when you say this. "But… I want you to know something," you say, turning to face her.

You're staring each other dead in the eyes. She can see your confidence and determination emanating from those orbs.

"I don't know what happened between you and my dad… I don't know a lot about love, or relationships but… I'm… I'm not my dad. I never have been and never will be. For years, people have compared me to him over and over and over again. But, I'm not Jet. I'm (Y/N). Yet that very fact is what hurts you, isn't it?"

Glynda looks away for a moment.

"Ozpin once told me that. He said that you're not Jet. But when I look at you, when I look past how much you remind me of Jet… (Y/N), I see… I see something I could have had. Something that never happened for me," she admits, very unlike the professional teacher.

Suddenly, Glynda feels your body press against hers, and your arms wrap around her. She stiffens, not knowing how to respond to your sudden action.

"I apologize for what I said, Glynda. I didn't mean to upset you. You're a good teacher who wants me to succeed and will push me. You're a good person, as I know you want what's best for me, and all your students. And I might anger you to no end, and you might yell at me to get my work done when I don't want to. But you and Ozpin… you've taken an interest in me. Not just because of my name, but because of who I am. I like that… and I don't want my name to destroy that."

Glynda can't believe what she's hearing. You're being so mature. You're being an adult. Glynda hesitantly hugs you back, if only for a second. But in that one second, she knows you'll grow up to be a fine young man. But, she lightly pushes away from you, staring into your eyes. You're so much like Jet. Too much like Jet. But you aren't Jet. You aren't the man she once loved, you aren't the man she once hated, and you aren't the man she mourned. You're (Y/N) Slater, and you deserve to be treated as such.

In a surprising act, Glynda leans in closer to you. Your eyes widen as you feel a soft pair of lips kiss your forehead. She pulls back a bit and speaks to you.

"Finish your essay," she smiles.

You smile right back before mockingly saluting.

"Yes ma'am. And, thanks for dinner. Maybe we'll do it again sometime?"

"Perhaps. Now get to your room. It's past curfew."

You nod, running off to your dorm. Ozpin slips beside Glynda a few seconds after.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

"I think I am, yes. I… haven't felt so weak in years. But, I think I can get past it now. He's a lot like Jet, but a lot different at the same time. He knows how to push my buttons, though."

Ozpin chuckles.

"He's an interesting child. But, that seems to be common this year."

Ozpin slowly saunters away, leaving Glynda to her own thoughts.

"(Y/N)… You aren't Jet, so I won't let you suffer the same fate as Jet. I swear it."

Glynda's memory brings up something terrible. Something that shook her to the very core. She remembers when she found Jet, dead. She clenches her fist.

"I swear it."

 **And here it is! It took a lot less time because I literally spent my entire writing time on this. I'm just loving RWBY! Anyway, I think I might have to clarify something. In the chapter, Glynda isn't much like she is in the show, both at dinner and after. "Chinsangan you're losing it!" No, no I'm not. You see, we've never seen Glynda in a state like this in the show, but that doesn't mean she can never be mad, sad, or even throw on a happy persona for a dinner. It's character development that I have to put in. It would be a failure if I just made Glynda the same after experiencing all this just for the sake of keeping her the exact same as in the show. Of course she won't be totally different now, but still. Just understand where I'm coming from before declaring that Glynda's OOC.**

 **Oh, and the Harem. So, quite a few people asked for the harem, which is why I considered it in the first place. But my god the backlash was insane. A lot of you don't want it, which is fine. I originally intended for this story to just be a Ruby x Reader, so leaving it as such is no problem. So, now that I basically have most people's opinion, there will NOT be a harem. But, I have more stories planned for the rest of the RWBY girls. Maybe short stories for others. Not sure.**

 **But I just wanted to throw that out there. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! See you all next time!**

 **PS. No, this isn't a Glynda x Reader.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **Oh, and my friends on Fanfiction! The poll is still up for what story is next! Please, if you haven't already, go vote! I won't say the exact score, but two are tied with one close behind. So, if you really want to see Weiss, or Blake, or Yang be the focus of my next story, along with what sounds like an interesting premise, then go vote! The winner is literally the next story I post. Be heard and choose!**


	8. Chapter 8: Yanging Around Town

**Chapter 8: Yanging Around Town**

"I was joking!" You shout, running across the room.

You can see the edge is right ahead of you. Of course this has to be the smallest room ever. You reach the end, throw one foot on the wall then push up, flipping at just the right time to dodge a red blur. You land behind the red figure: Ruby. She turns so her silver eyes can get a lock on you. She spins her scythe around and starts attacking. Using your momentum, you continue to do backhand springs to dodge her flurry of attacks.

"For such a small girl," you huff, still going. "You're really energetic!"

Ruby doesn't respond, but instead smiles. As you do another backhand spring, you notice, for just a second, a white blur coming at you. Knowing who this is, you have no time to waste. You go one more time until you land on your hands, then you push up explosively, sending you high enough to pass by Weiss and land on your feet. You exhale, but have no time to rest. Out of the corner of your eye you see Yang charging you. You quickly lean back to dodge her punch, then jump away from the three to get a breather. Now, you're around the middle of the room with Ruby, Weiss, and Yang in… front of…

 _Where's Blake?_

The moment you think it you feel something wrap around your foot. You look down and see Blake's signature band she usually has around her arms. The band tightens, and you feel a force pulling you off your feet. You're sent spiraling around the room, coming right at the three girls. Yang charges up a haymaker to hit you with.

 _Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!_

You have one idea, but if you mess up you're getting a fist right to the face. You brace yourself as you're swung right at the heavy hitter.

"HYA!" Yang yells, throwing her fist at you.

You quickly push up against Ember Celica and spin yourself sideways. You arc your hip a bit so you pass right over Yang's head, brushing her hair you're so close. At the same time, Blake's band unwraps from your foot, giving you free reign again. Once you pass Yang you do a few flips backwards to get some more space. Blake finally emerges herself from the shadows and stands with her team, their weapons ready. All four of them point their weapons at you, ready to fight again.

You sigh.

"How did I get into this mess..?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" _And that's the match," Glynda declares, lights coming on again._

 _You shake your head, disappointed from what you just saw. Ruby notices and scooches closer to you._

" _What is it?" She innocently asks._

" _Well, I mean, look at the way they were fighting. They landed so many blows on one another," you say._

" _Well that's kind of the point, hot stuff," Yang interjects._

" _No. Some fights should only be finished in one or two hits, and you shouldn't be taking so many either," you explain. "At least that's how I was taught. It's why I've trained to dodge a lot."_

 _Glynda notices your conversation and listens in a bit._

" _We hit you many times," Weiss counters._

" _Yeah, but that was the first time I fought you AND I didn't want to hurt you guys anymore. I bet I wouldn't take a single hit from all four of you without even using my blade," you joke, laughing and pretending to be high and mighty._

" _Well, how about we test that," Glynda speaks up, making you freeze. "Team RWBY, do you accept this challenge?"_

" _What challenge?" You shout, sprouting to your feet. "No! No! No!" You wave your hands frantically. "There's no challenge at all! Nothing! I was joking! Hot air! Bravado! Exaggerations!"_

 _Team RWBY looks at each other, smiling._

" _I think we do accept his challenge Professor Goodwitch," Ruby declares._

 _You turn to Ruby._

" _Little Red! Come on!" You wail._

" _Alright. Please come down and prepare yourselves."_

" _Ms. Goodwitch!" You cry out._

 _She shrugs._

" _Well, unless you want to back out now and give them a victory," she coyly smiles, playing on your pride._

 _Your face drops, not enjoying the teasing. You hear Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and even Ren laughing a bit at your suffering. You turn to them, a humourous yet disappointed look on your face. This only causes them to laugh even harder. Team RWBY enters the locker rooms to grab their gear. You slowly follow._

" _(Y/N), come here," Glynda calls. You raise your brow and point towards the door. She shakes her head. "You said no weapon, remember."_

 _You clap_ _in frustration, letting out some incoherent nonsense. You walk down beside Ms. Goodwitch and cross your arms, cursing yourself for ever speaking. Team RWBY comes out a minute later, taking position across from you. They all seem to have confident smiles that mirror your impending doom. Even Weiss seems to be happy about this. You rub the back of your head, nervously chuckling._

 _"As this will not be a traditional match, I will lay down the rules," Glynda starts, and you follow with a sigh. "(Y/N) cannot attack using either his fists or weapons. Team RWBY, you can use everything at your disposal to hit him. (Y/N), you must avoid being hit for ten minutes. The timer is ready."_

 _"Wait, is it actually only one hit? It's going to be extremely hard to dodge all four of them!" You point out._

 _"We discussed this in the locker room, and think that three hits is fair enough," Weiss quickly solves._

 _"Does that sound fair to you," Glynda asks, turning her head to you._

 _"None of this sounds fair to me," you mumble. "But fine! I'll agree to that."_

 _"Very well. Let's begin."_

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Oh yeah, that's how. Me and my big mouth," you huff. "Alright, so they've already gotten one hit on me, thanks for that Weiss, so I got too more. It's been about three minutes. I can do this. I can do this," you say under your breath.

Ruby swings Crescent Rose around her body until slamming the tip into the ground. She smiles and starts firing at you. You duck, evading one bullet that would have got you right in the head.

"Hey! Careful where you aim- Whoa!"

You roll out of the way to dodge another shot of Ruby's. You start running to the left, twisting, jumping, and ducking under Ruby's relentless rain of fire. Suddenly you hear Yang's weapon fire. You stomp on your heels, stopping right in front of her pulse. You grind to a stop, looking at the girls. Weiss instantly shoves her blade into the ground, sending a wave of ice towards you. Ruby reloads her gun, and Yang prepares for another shot.

 _Ooooooh crap_

You hop into the air, evading Weiss' ice. Yang fires another blast at you. Thankfully gravity saves you, but you fumble on the ice when you land. You quickly jump to the side, getting away from Ruby's shot.

"You know, this is a lot harder when you're at shooting me!" You shout, recovering from a roll.

You hear a sudden sound beside you. You look at it only to see Blake fade away. You remember her semblance, and you know what this means. You cartwheel to the side, dodging Blake's attack. She continues a flurry with both her weapons, which you can barely outmaneuver. They're grazing your clothes, but thankfully not enough to actually cut your clothes. Blake seems to be going somewhat serious, trying to actually get a hit on you. But since you can't fight back, all you can really depend on is your acrobatics to survive however long is left.

You know you need breathing room, so you go the one direction nobody's going to be: up. You bend under Blake's attack and spring high into the air. You spin around a few times, managing to pass by a stab from Weiss. Flip your body around so that your feet hit the ceiling. You quickly dart your eyes to the timer.

"Five more minutes," you whisper to yourself.

"Watch out," Glynda casually warns.

You look down and see Ruby flying right at you, scythe ready to slice. Your face immediately turns to shock, and you push yourself away from her. You turn so your back is towards the ground.

"Christ Little Red, calm down!"

You twist back instantly when you approach the ground. You push against the ground the moment you land, flying right of your landing location. You're lucky, since Yang drives her fist down on that spot. You roll over your shoulder and slam your hand into the ground to stop yourself. You're breathing heavier than normal, mostly because you have so much to do. In any normal circumstance you wouldn't be as tired, but fighting four people at once, not being able to take any of them down, in such a small area, and not being able to get hit is extremely tiring.

Blake comes in from the side, dashing down at you. You twist your body and let her pass right by you, but she springs off her heel and attacks. You evade a few of her attacks before you notice her smirk. You're immediately cautious of what's happening, but it becomes clear when Weiss lands in front of Blake and attacks you. Almost like in the forest, Weiss and Blake both attack you with such fluidity and grace that it's almost like a three way dance between you. But you're not in an advantageous position right now, and need to get out of it. You hear foot steps behind you, and know you have to get out of this position.

You jump into the air, arching backwards and keeping your arms on your chest. You execute it perfectly, and pass right over Yang. You start springing backwards, continuing the momentum. But, as you do it, you see a familiar red figure. When you land on your hands you let one get a little ahead, stopping you entirely. You spread your legs to the splits just in time to avoid Crescent Rose. The blade part is just past your crotch, piercing the ground by your hand. You can feel the handle pushing against your weak spot, which is a weird feeling.

Not wanting to be in this position anymore, and knowing the rest of her team will be on you in seconds, you bend your knees and clasp your feet on Ruby's weapon. You push to the side, spinning yourself on top of Crescent Rose. You jump and curl into a ball, passing Ruby, then, when your feet touch the ground, you lunge even further from the huntresses. You finally get a moment to breath and thank that you're lower body is still intact.

But, in a second, all four girls are charging you. You pivot to the side, letting Weiss pass. You twirl to the side, dodging Blake, then do a horizontal flip to pass Ruby's sweep. You elegantly land, but have no way out as Yang approaches you. With no other option, you throw your arms in front of you to form an "X". Yang's punch hits right in the center of the X, and the force throws you to the wall.

You smack against it, coughing at the impact.

"Yes!" Yang congratulates herself, throwing her fist in the air.

"We only have to get one more hit," Ruby announces.

You smile, pushing off your knee to stand.

"But…"

A horn rings loud enough for a quarter of the campus to hear it. Team RWBY looks around confused, while you're smiling. You cross your arms and point towards the timer with your thumb.

"Time's up."

The lights come on and Glynda walks in between both you and Team RWBY.

"You only got two hits on (Y/N), and the time's up, so (Y/N) takes the match."

You smugly smile, shrugging.

"Well, you know, it wasn't all that easy," you admit, still catching your breath. "Honestly you girls almost got me more than a dozen times. Your teamwork is fantastic. It's the sign of a strong bond, and possibly a strong leader," you joke, looking at Ruby.

Ruby lazily waves off the comment, going red.

"Oh, stop it I never said anything like that I mean if you think it then I won't argue but maybe it was all me," she incoherently mumbles.

You chuckle, as that's the exact reaction you were hoping for.

"Anyway. It was a good match. Please just never make me do that again," you request, looking at Glynda.

"It was a good training exercise. Perhaps this will become a more frequent activity rather than just sparring," Glynda says.

You bow in an over exaggerated manner.

"I'm honoured I could be of service, Ms. Goodwitch," you respond in an utmost proper voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll return to my seat."

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Once again you've survived another day of school – oh the horror. You're somewhat getting into the rhythm now, but it's still only your first week. On the bright side, it is Thursday, so you really only have one more day of school until the weekend. You also have to help out Tuckson tomorrow, which shouldn't be too hard. You haven't visited him again since the first time, but you've been busy. Between writing essays, dealing with Team RWBY, and even the conflict with Ms. Goodwitch, you've had a crazy first week, and it's yet to even finish. You can't imagine what else could happen here at Beacon.

You're currently lying in your bed, hands behind your head, staring at the ceiling. You're completely relaxed without a care in the world. You let out a pleasant huff. But something comes to your mind. You open one eye and look over at your work desk. There's still those notes that Ruby lent you for the essay. She even gave you her scroll so you can drop them into her room incase nobody is around. Having nothing else to do, you might as well bring the notes back. You bounce off the bed and swipe up the notes along with Ruby's scroll.

It takes little time to get to Team RWBY's dorm. Everything is pretty silent with nobody roaming the halls except you. You approach the dorm and flash Ruby's scroll. The lock beeps and allows you to enter. You slowly push open the door, walking into the room. You don't really pay too much attention to the room itself, not wanting to be nosy or anything. Ruby told you her bed is the one on the left, and on top. The "on top" part confused you, but she said you'd get it once you saw.

So your eyes immediately lock onto Ruby's bed.

"Oh… I get it. That… doesn't look safe," you comment.

You walk up to her bed and slap the notes and her scroll on her bed. But… something's bothering you. You feel like someone's watching you. You turn around and see Blake, laying in her bed, staring at you in an almost scared manner.

You both stare at each other, not knowing what to say.

"H-Hi…" You greet.

"Hi…" She meekly responds.

"I… I was just giving back the notes."

"Right," she agrees, still sounding odd.

You cough, scratching your neck. You divert your eyes from Blake and look at the bookshelf. It's very similar to yours. You walk towards it and kneel down.

"These all yours?" You ask, trying to lighten the mood.

"Most, yes. Ruby has one or two – one of those being yours. Weiss has some dust guides too," Blake clarifies.

Your eyes scan through all the books, but you notice something. A book isn't on the shelf. It's under Blake's bed. You grab it before Blake knows what you're doing, and examine it. You're surprised instantly as you read the title.

"Ninjas… of Love?" You question.

Blake's eyes shrink in fear as she stares at the book. You stand, open the book, and back away from her. You start reading a random page.

"His strong arms grab me, shoving me against the wall. I could feel his warm breath slithering over my skin. His eyes lock onto me, emanating with lust." Blake jumps at you, trying to get the book back. You move back, falling on Weiss' bed and keeping Blake back with your feet. You start chuckling as you read. "'Please, don't hurt me,' I moaned as he caressed me. He slowly takes off his mask, revealing such a chiseled face that makes me shiver."

"Give it back!" Blake hisses, desperately trying to get her book back while flailing her arms at you.

You move back, laying on Weiss' bed, still reading. Blake tries to get you but you use your legs to keep her away from you, though you have to move your hands around to dodge Blake's. You can't help but be amused by her embarrassment. Her face is red and her motions are completely flawed. You continue to read the words and actually surprise yourself with the detail it gets into. With that distraction, Blake passes through your legs and lands on top of you, grabbing the book.

"Stop reading it!"

You and Blake struggle for the book, not even noticing that you two are literally pressing against each other, rolling around on Weiss' bed, messing the once neat bed up. Suddenly, you both hear the door open. You and Blake look over at the door to see Yang staring at you, not knowing exactly how to process what she's seeing. Your legs are spread out with Blake leaning over your hips. Her one hands is on your mouth, while the other is reaching for the book, which is just out of reach. You look at each other, realizing the situation you're in, and quickly push off of each other. You're forced farther onto Weiss' bed, which actually makes you fall off the other side. Blake, who grabbed her book as she pushed off you, stands beside the bed, hands behind her back to hide the book and her face a shade of pink.

Your legs flail in the air, which is the only thing Yang can see of you. You're basically folded up, and not very comfortable. You roll over your shoulder and get to your feet with the little space you have. You notice that there isn't something in your hand anymore, and see the book behind Blake's back.

"So… what'cha doing?" Yang playfully asks, enjoying the moment.

"Well she-"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Just a misunderstanding. I… tripped," Blake lies, then looks at you. "I just fell on him by accident. Nothing. Else," she finishes in a threatening manner.

You raise your hands.

"Yeah, that's true. Nothing else. Sorry for barging in like that. I thought nobody was here."

"Speaking of which, how DID you get in here?" Blake inquires, more calm and Blakey now.

"Oh, Ruby lent me her scroll. I had to return some notes she lent me."

"So that's where she took them," Yang whispered to herself. "So," she says more loudly, gathering everyone's attention. "I guess you're all in luck. Well, I am. I needed some people to come out with me tonight and you two just volunteered."

"Pretty sure we didn't," you add.

"Ah, but you did. Or else some people might learn about this little accident," Yang sings, happy as can be.

Both you and Blake look at each other. You shrug, not really caring. You have nothing planned for tonight anyway, even if you have school tomorrow.

"So, you're blackmailing us?" Blake clarifies.

"Well, maybe (Y/N). But you? I'm Blakemailing you," Yang chuckles.

Both you and Blake face palm at her absolutely lame pun.

You shake your head and shrug.

"Fine, whatever. I'll tag along."

"I suppose I will too," Blake agrees.

Yang winks at you both, smiling.

"Super. Well, let's get going then."

"What about Weiss and Little Red?" You voice, slowly walking up to her.

"Ruby shouldn't be where we're going, and Weiss? Well, it's not her scene. Us though," she says, locking you and Blake under her arms, nuzzling her face close to both of yours. "We're going to have a ton of fun, I promise."

Yang releases you two. Blake fixes her bow and her clothes, which are a tad disheveled from her previous engagement with you. You pop the collar of your green jacket and flash a smile.

"Let's go then. We're wasting daylight."

Yang opens the door for you all, then turns her head back at you.

"Trust me, hun, you want to miss the daylight."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After screwing around for a few hours Yang finally brings you to where she wants to go. It's a very shady side of Vale with some buildings not even finished, dark lights, and terribly smells. Still, there's one spot that stands out from the rest, and judging by the direction you're walking, Yang's leading you there.

"Is… is this a club, Yang?" Blake questions.

Yang enthusiastically nods.

"It is. I haven't been here in a while, so I wonder if they even remember me."

"A club? Hm, I haven't been to one before. I guess this isn't so bad," you admit, cupping your hands behind your head. "But what made you want to bring us here?"

Yang shrugs.

"I like to get away from time-to-time. We're only teenagers, you know. Gotta live it up a bit." Yang leans toward Blake and nudges her side. "That means you too, grumpy kitty."

Blake rolls her eyes while you chuckle. Your trio gets close to the door, and you can already hear the music pumping. Yang smiles just at this, her body getting ready for the incoming fun. You look over at Blake, who doesn't seem too thrilled with the whole ordeal. Honestly, you're excited. You've been wanting to hang out with Yang and see her kind of fun, and now you'll get a taste.

As soon as you get close enough you notice two bouncer looking individuals. They have odd looking red swords attached to their belts, and definitely look like they're part of a club. They look towards us and instantly go pale. You raise your brow, curious as to what they're so scared of. You can't even follow their eyes since they have sunglasses on, which is odd in itself since its night. They turn to the door and push it open.

"She's here! She's back!" They shout as they frantically shut the door behind them.

You look over at Blake, who's just as confused as you are. You both turn to Yang, who isn't even paying attention to either of you. She's happily walking, the spunk in her step ever present.

"Hold on guys, I got this," she reassures, raising one hand.

She approaches the door and politely knocks on it.

"Hello," she howls. "Where can some helpless teenagers like us find a place to have fun?"

"We're closed," a scared voice responds.

"But… I can hear the music and people inside," you chip in.

"Oh… what do we do?"

"Can we close the club?"

"But that means we have to open the door to let the guests out."

"Opening the door lets her in! Can't we just keep it locked?"

Suddenly they hear the door creaking. It slowly opens, revealing you pushing it to the side. You look at them and flash a smile.

"Sorry, I just thought the door was broken," you lie.

Yang elegantly ducks under your arm, her hands behind her back.

"Why thank you, dear gentleman. Now, where's some drinks?"

The two bouncers watch in horror as Yang casually walks by them. Yang glances over at them and winks, making the two faint instantly. You allow your arms to rest, making them slap your legs. Blake slips in beside you, examining the two unconscious men.

"I did nothing to these men, for the record," you claim, placing a hand on your chest.

"I saw you holding the door," Blake emotionlessly comments, getting a feel for the environment.

You fold your arms in, looking away.

"It was just a joke, sheesh, lighten up a bit we're at a club," you mumble.

"I can still hear you, you know," Blake says, turning her head back to you.

"I'm surprised, considering the noise. Is it sensitive for you? You know, with the quadruple ears?"

Blake shrugs.

"Meh, not really. I'm going to find Yang before she gets into any more trouble. You… do something."

And with that, Blake leaves you alone. You look around the club. Flashing lights, a colourful dancefloor, some tipsy dancers, and drinking adolescents that litter the tables around the sides. You pick out Yang instantly due to her shining yellow hair. She's at the bar, getting some drink with a little umbrella in it. Everyone who seems to be official here seems terrified at her presence. You're actually surprised they're serving her drinks at her age. Then again, this doesn't seem to be the most legal place around.

You shrug, deciding not to get too adult here. This is a place to let loose, so let loose you shall. You start to walk towards the dance floor but are stopped when a hand slams onto your shoulder. You stop and turn your head back to whoever touched you.

"Hey, you're with Blondie, right?" His deep voice inquires.

"I am, who's asking?"

"Junior, I run this joint. Listen, keep her in line. Last time she was here… well I just don't want any trouble tonight."

You jerk your shoulder forward, freeing it from his grip.

"I'll do my best, but she can be a handful," you chuckle.

"I know that all too well," he huffs, looking over at Yang.

He leaves you to yourself, going off and doing whatever he may be doing. You notice two girls – twins, by the look of it – with him. They keep their eyes on you as they walk away. Why? You have no idea, but you wink at them just in case. As soon as you do, they look away and follow their boss. You shrug, not really caring about the outcome, or repercussions. Right now it's time to let loose and relax – and what better way to do that than dance.

You shimmy your way onto the crowded dance floor, passing by all the guys and girls along the way. You have nobody to dance with, so you just start doing your own thing. You're no professional dancer by any means, and attempting to do any formal dancing just ends in complete failure, but club dancing is something you can do. Seems you're doing well to, as Yang quickly dances her way to you.

"Got some moves there, huh?" She compliments, swaying her hips and bopping to the beat.

"Oh, you know, I keep them saved up for these special occasions," you joke, moving closer to the blonde beauty.

"Well, I'm no pushover myself. How about we see who's better?" She challenges, a confident smile on her face.

You smile right back.

"You're on! I can beat you in battle, and I'll beat you here."

"Hey, don't get too cocky. We've never had a one-on-one before," she counters before really getting into the dancing mood.

Being closer to the middle of the floor, you and Yang are surrounded by a bunch of strangers, so your movements are slightly limited. However, you and Yang are tearing up the dance floor, making everyone move away so they can watch you both. Of course both of your movements are fluid and dazzling. You compliment each other perfectly, like you're the perfect partners.

Yang can't help but smile. She isn't sure if it's the adrenaline of dancing or the fact that she's having so much fun with you. She can't help but grab a spare glance at you when she can. Your eyes are closed, and you're totally in the zone. Each movement goes with hers, and you're even getting closer and closer. Yang runs her hands through her hair as she looks from side to side, moving her hips from side to side and captivating all the men in the audience, which gets them in trouble with their girlfriends.

Yang slowly moves closer to you until your inches apart. Her back's towards you, which makes her back up closer to you. You knew Yang would be like this in a club, but you didn't think she'd be THIS into it – and into you. It's probably not a romance thing at all, as you feel the same thing she's feeling. It's all heat of the moment, and it's a nice heat. Yang moves her hand and grazes your face, feeling your smooth skin. She smiles winking at you before continuing to dance.

This is all great, no doubt, but something's bothering you. Where's Blake? You know she's probably not dancing, and the last you saw her she was going after Yang. So, where is she?

"Hey Yang," you say in her ear. "Where'd Blake go?"

"Sitting somewhere," she answers like she's not even there.

The moment she talks you can smell the alcohol in her breath. You're surprised she was even served anything.

"I'm gonna go find her. Don't get too into this, huh?" You tease, slipping away from her.

Yang continues to dance on her own, but is quickly surrounded by guys who want to dance with her. You manage to push your way through the crowd to the outside. You look around the outside of the club at the tables, wiping away the few sweat drops along your forehead. You're not tired, just hot from all the body heat culminated in that pit. After a moment of searching, you see Blake at a table near the corner.

 _Why does everyone I know sit in a corner?_

You roll your shoulder and head up to Blake. She sees you coming as soon as you exited the pit. In fact, she had her eyes on you and Yang the entire time. She watches as you take a seat beside her. Blake takes a drink of her water, stalling until you speak.

"So, Yang got alcohol?" You question, asking in a lighthearted manner.

Blake nods as she puts down her glass.

"She did. I assume they don't care about age here."

"No surprise. Seems like a professional yet sleazy place."

"It didn't look like you minded," Blake nonchalantly says, coyly looking away from you.

"Hey! What does that mean!?"

"You and Yang dancing down there. Looked like you were having a good time," she says, air quoting the "good" part.

"It was dancing, Blake. It wasn't serious," you retort, lightly lifting your hand and letting hit the table. "Plus, if I knew Yang was drinking then I might have acted differently. Speaking of which, how many did she have?"

Blake thinks for a moment. She reaches around her back and grabs a few mini-umbrellas.

"Ah, well, what're you gonna do?" You cheerily shrug. "So, are you enjoying yourself?"

Blake shrugs.

"I'm content. I'm not the dancing kind."

You raise your brow, smiling.

"I don't think so. I think you want to dance."

Blake's eyes widen.

"What? No! Why would you think that?" She exclaims.

"Well, you read those books so-"

Blake moves her face right in front of yours, her eyes piercing your soul.

"You. Tell. No one."

You timidly nod, trying to keep your cool. But, seeing as she's so close, you use this to your advantage. You grab her hand and bolt towards the pit.

"H-Hey!" She squeals, attempting to break free.

You bring her down to the dance floor, being more on the outside, and stop with Blake. You let her go and start moving your body a bit.

"Come on, Blake. You know you want to," you goad.

Blake shakes her head and crosses her arms.

"No thanks, I'll just sit back down."

You slide around in front of her. You shake her head.

"Not a chance. I can see your foot tapping," you point out.

Blake looks down, seeing her foot is indeed tapping to the beat. You grab her hands and start moving, doing a goofy dance.

"Come on Blake! Lighten up a bit!"

Blake gazes at you, unamused. But… something inside her is telling her to go along with it. You can feel her body loosening, allowing her arms to move around with you. You smile, staring into her amber eyes.

"There we go! Show me what you got!"

Blake lets out a smile. She hasn't been able to let loose like this for a while in fact, a lot of her time is taken up by White Fang research. She's never really danced like this before, so now that she has the chance, and the encouragement from you, maybe she'll let loose.

Blake starts moving on her own, getting into her own dance routine. You let go of your hands and do your own thing as you watch Blake dance. You're ecstatic that the Blake, who you've learned to be more reserved, is really having fun and getting down. Blake's smiling, happy that she accepted the dance. You two dance together, doing some improve but having so much fun doing it. Blake has a nice laugh, you just wish you heard it more often. It seems like Blake does have a lighter side when she wants to, but she's generally serious. Now all you need to do is get Weiss out of her shell.

You must have danced for at least an hour, and man was it fun. You couldn't have had more fun. Sure, dancing with Yang would have been interesting, but Blake's the one girl you know the least out of team RWBY. So spending some time with her, laughing and dancing, is comforting for you. After a time, Blake starts slowing down.

"Do you mind if I head back to the table? I think I've had my fun," Blake requests, huffing from so much dancing.

You nod, huffing along with her.

"Yeah, I agree. We'll watch Yang from there too."

You and Blake return to the seat, relaxing. You see Yang still going strong on the dance floor. You also notice more of those umbrella drinks along the bar. Seems Yang's been a little busy while you were dancing.

"Blake, you see that?" You say, leaning towards her.

"The drinks? Yes. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."

You nod, leaning on your arms.

"So, I hear that Ozpin is your father now," Blake starts.

You look over at her and smile at the fact that she's starting a conversation.

"Yeah, crazy. I just hope nothing's expected of me. Maybe I'll inherit the school," you joke.

"You? As a Headmaster? Oh, that would be the day," she imagines.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" You shout, feigning offence.

"You're loud mouthed, impulsive, childish, and don't seem very serious," Blake flatly lays out.

Your face drops at her insults. You've been called that, and more, before.

"But…" Blake continues, peaking your interest. "You also seem to have a serious side, you're a great fighter, you're serious when circumstances need you to be, and, though you're impulsive, you go with what you think is right to the very end."

"How… can you even come up with that?" You pose, though flattered at her compliments.

"Well, when we fought for the first time you could have tried to defend yourself seriously and kill us. But, as you said, once you knew we weren't White Fang you refused to kill us. You stuck with your gut feeling, even though we were really trying to hurt you."

You shrug, smiling.

"Meh, it was nothing. But it's not like I would have won anyway."

"You say that," Blake interrupts. "But you never used your blood ability on us."

You sigh, knowing she's right.

"Well, of course not. It's not the most user friendly thing around, you know," you say in a care free manner, leaning back. "But if you really wanna go a round with me as I use it, then…"

Suddenly you hear a hard crack. You and Blake look to the source of the noise and see a random boy flipping through the air and landing on a nearby table. You hear screams and see people funneling out of the club.

"Oh no," Blake moans.

You and Blake get off your butts and run to the nearby railing with a complete view of the club. A bunch of those goons are surrounding Yang, who can't seem to stand still. That one man who talked to you earlier is there too, and he seems a little cockier than before. You hop over the railing, landing hard, and start running towards Yang. Blake quickly follows you, rolling as she hits the floor instead of just landing like you.

"That's it Blondie. This is over now," Junior declares.

You jump over the circle and land in front of the disoriented Yang.

"Hey, come on now, how about we just talk about this?" You casually say, hoping to defuse the situation.

"Lemme at 'em (Y/N)!" Yang slurs. "I'll take all these idiots on."

"Yang!" You whisper. "Shut up!"

Blake lands beside you.

"The door's still open. I'll grab Yang and we'll get out of here," she plans.

You nod.

"Go ahead."

Blake wraps her arm around Yang's stomach and leaps out of the group. They all point their guns towards you. You throw your arms up, surrendering.

"Hey, hey! What'd I do?" You shout.

Not wanting to stay in this situation a minute longer, you burst straight up, getting out of the way. You flip around and land on the ceiling, then quickly launch yourself towards the door. You see Blake's already out the door with Yang, who's struggling to break free. You land a few feet away from the door, so you sprint towards freedom. You can hear Junior shouting in the background, and footsteps coming closer to you. You reach the outside and quickly spin around, grab the door and attempt to close it. Yang sees some people come at you and smiles. She lazily fires off Ember Celica, shooting a concussive shot towards you.

"(Y/N)!" Blake shouts, attempting to warn you.

You see it at the last second and jump out of the way. The shot goes through the door and hits all the men after you. Yang keeps firing them lazily, some actually getting into the club, and some hitting the outer walls. She actually manages to keep everyone inside, but it makes it hard for you to close the doors.

"Blake, drop Yang and help me with the doors!" You shout, running to the left one.

Blake nods, allowing Yang to fall right to the ground, moaning. Blake moves to the right side and pushes towards the center, effectively closing the door. Once it's closed, you sigh in relief. But the door starts to open, revealing Junior and his goons.

"You know there's a button in here, right?" He snarkily points out.

Your face drops, and you pat your head.

"I… did not think of that," you quietly admit, but Blake hears it.

You both start running, this time you grab Yang on the way.

"Why are we running?" Blake shouts.

"Do you have your weapon?" You ask, ducking under a bullet.

"Well… no."

"And I don't want to fight them so we run!" Yang starts fidgeting, almost making you trip. "Damnit Yang stop moving!"

"Meehmmm" She moans.

You throw Yang on your back so you piggyback her. It seems like the easiest way to do it right now. You and Blake have a decent lead ahead of the goons, and, if you're right, all you have to do is keep running. This is a shadier part of Vale, so getting a nicer part will probably make them give up. Or maybe they'll get tired. It seems like that's probably what's going to happen, as their pace is dwindling rapidly. But everything seems to be on your side, as you're quickly approaching the nicer part of Vale. Within a minute, they're nowhere in sight.

You rest Yang up against a nearby building and take a breather. Blake shakes her head.

"Well, I bet that wasn't how Yang planned it," she says.

You hear Yang throwing up beside herself. Obviously the drinks hit her hard. You exhale, wondering what to do.

"We can't bring her back to your dorm like this," you voice.

"I suppose not. It wouldn't be wise for her to be at Beacon at all right now."

"Well we have to go back. People will freak out if we're gone. Especially Ms. Goodwitch. She might beat me with that wand," you shiver at the thought.

"Isn't it a riding crop?"

"Blake I do not need your logic right now!"

You both hear Yang throw up once more.

"Maybe… Well, I have a four person dorm. I guess… I could keep her in my room?"

Blake frowns at you.

"You think I'm going to let you take her in this state?"

"Hey, hey! I'm not gonna do anything!" You defend, waving your hands. "But she can't go to your dorm and we can't stay in Vale, so my room seems like the best option. I'll just sleep on the floor or something," you decide.

"That's… noble of you. Alright, let's get back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thankfully, Yang fell asleep so carrying her was easy. You and Blake carried her all the back to the ship, and, due to the time, not many people saw the drunken Yang, She threw up a few times, but you kept it under control. Blake was surprisingly nice as well, and you even had a couple laughs on the way. Well, she snickered more thank full on laughing. But still, you're glad you can make Blake smile. She's the quietist of team RWBY, though that doesn't make her the hardest to deal with. That title goes to Weiss.

The ship drops you off at Beacon, so you and Blake sneak to your room. Its past curfew, so the students won't see you. Glynda, on the other hand, might still be walking around. You and Blake rush to the dorms, Yang hanging around Blake's arm. Blake enters the dorm first, but before you can enter.

"Young Huntsman! Stop right there!" A booming voice calls.

You freeze in place, your nerves on the edge. You slowly turn your head around to see the moustached professor, Port.

"Oh… sir…" You timidly say, turning to Port. "I, uh, what do you need?"

"What're you doing out past curfew, child?" He questions.

"Uh… I… I'm…" You quickly try to scrounge up some kind excuse, but you've got nothing. "I… wanted fresh air?"

"Why not just open your window, then?" He offers.

"Because… I'm stupid?" You blurt out.

Port raises his brow, confused at your answer.

"Can… can I go to bed? Please?"

Port nods.

"Very well, just remember your window. Rest up for the fight, child!"

You give a forced smile and walk into the dorm. Blake's standing there with Yang, holding in laughter.

"'Because I'm stupid?'" She mocks.

"Whatever. Come on, let's get Yang to my room."

You and Blake make your way to your room with Yang dragging behind, sleeping like a baby. You make it to your room and unlock it with your scroll. Blake shuffles into the room and tosses Yang on the bed. She lands in an unflattering position, but it doesn't seem like the brawler cares too much right now. You wipes your hands on your pants and smile.

"Alright, done. So, Blake," you turn to her. "Thanks for the fun. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."

"Yes. Please do take care of Yang," she pleasantly requests.

"Oh, actually," you pull out your scroll and toss it to Blake, which she handily catches. "Just in case you wake up before me and want to take Yang back."

Blake nods, then leaves you alone. You sigh, placing your hands on your hips. You look over at Yang, who's sleeping like a baby. You walk over to her and position her under the covers. You take off Ember Celica too, just so she doesn't fire them off in your room and wreck the place. You lay them on your bedside table. You toss your jacket onto your work chair and place Crimson Blaze in the corner. With one final precaution, you take your garbage can and place it beside the bed, just in case Yang needs it.

Finally, it's over. Yang's crazy adventure is done, and it ends with her in your bed, and you on the floor. You're excited to see how Yang will be tomorrow, and you know you'll never let this go. You sit on the floor and lay against the wall, crossing your arms and letting your head droop. You smile, actually enjoying hanging out with Yang, or, as she'd call it, Yanging out.

 **And that is it! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter cause I had a lot of fun writing it. Man, I must be KILLING the people who want a Yang pairing with all this teasing. But remember, I'm just making it as realistic as possible. He's not just zoned it on one girl. He's having fun with all of them until he develops feelings. Isn't that how it works? Meh, I'm not a romance expert.**

 **Oh, because my wonderful Beta Reader pointed this out I think I should address it really quick. I do actually use "Christ" in this chapter. As we know, there is no religion in RWBY, so would there still be that word? I don't know, but they did use "oh my god" once in the show, sooooooo don't get worked up over it. It was the best word to use at the time, as opposed to "Fuck" or something. Christ just rolls off the tongue better.**

 **Anyhow, that's it for me. The next chapter should be done relatively quickly since I know exactly what's going on next time. Well, I always know what's going to happen, but I planned this a while ago. So, until next time, I big you all a fond farewell.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **PS. My fanfiction people! So, on the topic of that poll, I hate you all. No, I'm joking, but you guys always seem to tie it up. Once again two are tied and one is just behind them. I don't want to extend it another chapter but… well I guess I have to. If you haven't voted then please do so. You get to choose my next RWBY story and pairing, so let your voice be heard. Seriously, every vote helps, so go ahead!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Son of the Waves

**Chapter 9: The Son of the Waves**

You lazily walk around, hands behind your head, and whistling a little tune you're making up on the spot. Ruby is beside you, happily looking around at the environment. It's your first time in the forest of Forever Fall, and it's not disappointing. The whole way over here Ruby and Weiss were explaining its beauty, though in two very different ways. Ruby was more imaginative and visual, where Weiss' was far more scientific and factual. Still, you listened to both of their explanations. That's one thing you like about your new friends. They all have a different way of seeing things, and each of them is interesting.

Weiss and Ruby are on either side of you, both admiring the view and listening to Ms. Goodwitch.

"Professor Peach requires some samples of various plants in this area. You all have different flora to collect, so partner up with those who have the same plant as you and go. We'll meet back in an hour," Glynda explains.

Everyone starts partnering up and heading out. You, coincidently, are partnered with Ruby and Weiss. Weiss has a small map on her scroll, and is looking at different locations of where your plant could be. You remember it's usually located by the water, so you just have to find some sort of stream or riverbed.

"What was that tune you were whistling?" Ruby asks, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, nothing in particular. I think my dad whistled it a lot and it got stuck in my head. I even made lyrics to it in my spare time, but I'm no singer. Still, it's fun just to whistle it."

"Oh… Well you shou-"

"I found where we have to go," Weiss interrupts, walking in between you and Ruby.

"Well, no time waiting around. Let's go. We can talk on the way," you declare, heading off in a random direction.

"It's the other way," Weiss sighs.

You spin around and start walking in the opposite direction.

"I knew that. Just making sure you did," you say, attempting to cover yourself.

Ruby giggles while Weiss rolls her eyes, but still smiles. The three of you begin walking until someone grabs your arm. You turn to see who it is, and it's none other than Yang. She seems a little embarrassed as she looks at you, and you know exactly why.

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 _You're not completely asleep, but you're not completely awake either. You know you've slept a bit, but the constant sound of moaning is keeping you up. You lazily open one eye and look over at Yang, who's rolling around on your bed so much that one would think she's on a log. Yang suddenly rolls right off the bed, slamming on the ground with a loud 'thud'. You hastily, but shakily, rush to her side. You roll her onto her shoulder and very lightly shake her._

" _Yang… are you alright?" You whisper in a pleasant tone._

" _Mmmm," she moans._

 _You relax, knowing that she's fine. You've dealt with drunks before, and you were never a huge drinker yourself anyway. You much preferred watching everyone else be stupid, but it came with the price of having to take care of all those people afterwards. Still, better you than someone else. At least you know you'll take good care of them. You don't know where Yang could have ended up if it wasn't for you and Blake. Maybe that club owner would have taken her. He did seem very happy to see Yang in such a weakened state._

 _You stand up and begin to return to your wall. You don't really want to move Yang in her state, since she's peacefully sleeping and has the potential to-_

" _Huahhhgla. Ack, ca."_

 _You let out an exhausted sigh and turn around to see Yang, puking all over your floor. She's still coughing, and it seems she might get some on her hair. You lazily waltz over to her and move her hair behind her ears. You notice Yang's eyes are somewhat open, meaning she's slightly awake._

" _Hey, how about we move this to the bathroom?" You gently recommend._

" _No… I'm ready anywhere," she mumbles._

 _You lift her upper body off the ground and let her lean on you._

" _You're what? What does that mean?"_

 _Yang then throws all her body weight on you, causing you to fall over and for her to be on top of you. Her breath absolutely reeks of vomit, which makes you a little queasy. Yang suddenly puckers her lips and attempts to kiss you. You place your hand on her forehead to keep her away._

" _Yang! Stop it! You're not thinking clearly."_

" _Come on, it's just the floor," she whines, still trying to get to you._

 _You struggle with her for a bit. You don't want to be too forceful, as she's still drunk and has the potential to throw-up, but if you're too gentle then she's going to make contact. You make a quick decision to roll over, so you're on top of her. She becomes a little disoriented, but smiles when she sees you._

" _I suppose this might work too," she slurs._

 _You get off her and lift her up again, letting her lean on your shoulder._

" _How about we get somewhere more comfortable?" You suggest, which she happily agrees to._

 _You bring her to the bathroom and set her down beside your toilet._

" _There you go, now just… puke in there, please."_

" _But I thought…" Yang stops talking and starts mumbling before throwing up into your toilet._

" _Yeah, that's why. Stay here, I have to clean this up," you moan, grabbing some paper towels and wetting them._

 _It's not conventional, but you don't really have a lot of options at the moment. So, you start scrubbing away, tossing any used paper towels in the garbage basket. Once you clean up all the puke and it at least looks presentable, you stop. The smell is still there, but you can't really do anything about that now. You head back to the washroom to check up on Yang. Once you enter you see her hugging the toilet bowl. She glances up at you then softly smiles. You take a seat beside her and start gently rubbing her back._

" _You okay?"_

" _Yeah," she lets out. "I think I'm better. Thank you."_

 _You smile, patting her back._

" _Do you want to just sleep in here? I can grab you a pillow and blankets?"_

 _She subtly shakes her head._

" _No, it's okay. I just need you here in case something happens."_

 _You nod, accepting her logic. Yang places her head on the rim of the toilet bowl. You lean towards her and make sure none of her hair gets in your toilet. She smiles and mouths 'thank you'. It's good that she's back to normal and not trying to kiss you anymore. It's difficult to resist when a beautiful woman is literally throwing herself at you, but you know she's drunk and doesn't actually mean it. It would be a mistake, and you don't want to ruin anything over some drunken fling._

 _You keep rubbing her back until she falls asleep. She looks really peaceful, and isn't making any weird noises. She's definitely feeling better, which puts your mind at ease. You lean against the wall and attempt to fall asleep, but keep your arm on Yang for support._

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By the time you woke up, she was gone. Blake explained that she dropped by and found you two in the bathroom. She took her back to her dorm before anyone could know what happened. You haven't talked to Yang since then, so you suppose this is going to be about last night.

"Can I talk to him alone for a second?" Yang requests.

Weiss and Ruby shrug before slowly walking away. Yang breathes in deep to prepare herself.

"I'm sorry about last night (Y/N). It was a lot of fun, until your room. Sorry about the smell, and… well…" She gets a little red at this point.

"Oh, don't worry about it Yang. I mean, how many guys can say Yang threw herself at them," you chuckle.

Yang snickers a bit, but not too much. You place your hand on her shoulder to get her full attention.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm happy I could help. We'll do it again sometime," you smile, patting her shoulder. "But next time you can take care of me, huh?"

Yang genuinely smiles.

"Yeah, then we'll see if I can resist you," she jokes.

"I don't know, I'm pretty charming. Heck, if you weren't drunk, I might have accepted it," you wink.

"Oh I'm sure you would," Yang laughs, following along.

You turn and start to return to your group. You let out a single wave as your exit.

"You'll have to get rid of that smell, by the way. Then we'll be even," you shout.

Yang rolls her eyes but keeps smiling. She's happy this went over smoothly, but she almost knew it would. You didn't seem like the kind of guy to hold a grudge over that. Her mind thinks back to what you said about going along with her kissing you. She ponders it for a moment, but quickly brushes it off. She knows you were joking, even if you didn't intend it to be a joke. She has a feeling. A feeling that tells her-

"Are you coming?" Blake questions, interrupting Yang's train of thought.

"Oh, yeah. Let's go Blakey."

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You regroup with Weiss and Ruby, which wasn't hard at all. They weren't that far away from you since they were walking so slowly.

"So, what was that about?" Weiss inquires.

"Oh, nothing. Just about last night," you respond, placing your hand behind your head.

"Oooh, were you and Yang together last night?" Ruby asks.

You nod.

"Blake too. It was a good time."

"So that's where they went. Why do I think you all got into some trouble," Weiss predicts, her voice ever so hurtful.

You place one hand on your chest in an overdramatic fashion.

"How could you ever think that of me, Weiss? I'm torn that you'd think so little of us."

Ruby laughs at your joke.

"Yes, how could I ever think that," Weiss comments.

You pat Weiss' back, laughing.

"You know me too well, Weiss."

"What an honour," she sarcastically remarks.

"See, you can be funny too!" You enthusiastically say.

Unknownst to you, Glynda is following your group. Of course she is to monitor all groups of students at her own discretion, but she's oddly drawn to your group – to you. It's unprofessional of her, but, then again, she was extremely unprofessional a couple nights ago. She even kissed you, albeit it was only on the forehead. Still, she never knew you could bring that out in her. Ever since that night, she's had a strange attraction to you. Not a romantic or sexual one, but almost a protective one. Perhaps a maternal one. But you're not even her son, she knows this. But part of her wants you to be, and part of her doesn't. It's conflicting, and all she can really do is watch you from afar. Sometimes, even when they were dating, she felt the same way with Jet.

Glynda shakes her head in an attempt to snap out of her delusions. She's been having so many memories of her and Jet lately because of you. From when she first met him, to when he started to woo her, and even their first date. Even now as you joke and bicker with Ruby and Weiss you remind her of him. The stance, the laugh, even the fighting style. Though she got her own satisfaction out of teasing you yesterday when she set up the match between you and Team RWBY, it completely backfired on her. It circles back to Jet being so far ahead of her, as he would take on similar challenges with other students and even Grimm.

"Such a show off," she whispers, smiling at the memory.

She composes herself and watches you for another moment until you, Ruby, and Weiss are out of view. She places her hands behind her back and walks off, looking for another group.

"So, if my map is correct then the stream shouldn't be too far ahead," Weiss says.

You nod.

"Alright. So, what does this professor look like, anyway? She wasn't there this morning."

Ruby shrugs.

"None of us have actually seen her. Nora thinks she doesn't exist, and I'm starting to believe her," Ruby whispers the last part to you as if she's being watched.

"As if," Weiss interjects. "She's possibly just very busy doing some sort of experiments with all the materials we've gathered."

"Is there any reason to think that?" You ask, ducking under a low branch.

"Well it's a better guess than she doesn't exist."

"Maybe she's in on it," Ruby whispers in your ear.

You start laughing while Weiss goes red.

"Oh be quiet, you dunce!"

Ruby starts laughing with you, which just makes Weiss even more irritated.

"Oh come on, lighten up a bit, Weiss. We're just playing. Come on, if we finish this up quick then can we make fun of you?" You compromise.

"Yes. Wait, no!"

"Ah, you said yes!" You point your finger towards her. "Alright Little Red, let's find this plant."

Weiss face palms at your immaturity.

You and Ruby run through some of the bushes ahead and find a small stream. The water is crystal clear and sparkling due to the sun. It's honestly a great sight, and made even better with Forever Fall's beauty. You walk up to the stream and kneel down beside it. You dip your hand in, feeling the moderately cold water flood by you. You cup your hand and grab some of the water to then drink. It's refreshing.

Ruby's watching you while Weiss finally catches up. She surveys the area a bit then looks back at her scroll, searching through the pictures until she finds exactly what the plant looks like. Once she's got it clear in her mind, she starts scouting the area. She takes a few steps down the stream, then looks back. You and Ruby are hovered over the water, laughing and making jokes. Weiss huffs, agitated that she's doing all the work. She stomps her way to you and taps your shoulder, which gets your and Ruby's attention.

"Come on, we haven't got all day. Ruby, you go down the stream while (Y/N) and I will go up. Once either of us has the plant then we'll notify the other via our scrolls."

Ruby pouts.

"Aww, why do I have to be alone?"

"Because you and (Y/N) won't get anything done, and I don't trust you on your own," she finishes, vigorously pointing at you.

"You point a lot, you know that? Well, whatever. Might as well get to it. Happy hunting, Little Red," you wave as you begin walking away.

Weiss soon follows you, leaving Ruby alone. She quickly spins around and starts searching for the plant.

She quickly gasps, stiffening up at a realization.

"I don't know what the plant looks like."

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You and Weiss stroll down the stream, keeping an eye out for the target. It's been silent for now, and you don't like it. Weiss has been giving you odd looks lately. It didn't start until that night with Glynda.

 _Did she see Glynda and I together? No, nobody was around. So, what could it be? Perhaps my… my scar? No… this started after that._

Weiss notices you're in deep thought. She finds you do that a lot when nobody is talking to you. She sighs, not really liking the silence that's surrounding you two. She tries to think up something to say, but everything she wants to ask relates back to that scar on your back. It's unfair to think about, since you've dropped her scar entirely. You've been nothing but friendly too her, albeit sassy too. But her mind thirsts for knowledge, and she wants to know what happened to you. She even has Yang curious now, and had hoped she'd get some answers out of you about it.

No, she's being too harsh. You've done nothing that deserves scorn from Weiss, and yet she's harder on you than anyone else, save Jaune.

"So, what did you and Yang do last night?" Weiss inquires, snapping you out of your trance.

You look to her, process the question, and shrug.

"Oh, you know, Yang stuff."

"Did you get into a fight?" She flatly predicts.

You turn to her in amazement.

"How did you know?" You exclaim.

"Yang stuff tends to involve violence."

You burst out laughing.

"Yeah, I suppose. But I'm not at liberty to say what happened last night. You'll have to talk to Yang yourself."

Weiss shakes her head.

"You didn't do anything indecent to her, did you?" She accuses.

"What!? No, no, no, nothing like that!" You defend. "We just went to a club with Blake!"

"A club? Why didn't you invite me?"

Once again, Weiss' words cause you to laugh.

"Y-You? A club? Hahaha, that's a good one."

"Hey! I can be fun too, you know! I just have to be the responsible one all the time!"

"Oh yeah?" You raise your brow, smiling smugly.

"Yeah!"

"Okay Weiss. This weekend we'll go out on the town and you can show me how 'fun' you are," you plan.

"Deal. I'll blow you away with my entertainment!" She declares with conviction.

You throw your hands in your pocket and smile.

"Alright, it's a date. Pick you up at six?" You wink.

Weiss crosses her arms and looks away.

"Hmph, you wish I was your date," she smirks.

You swoop in beside her, placing your hands behind your back and start acting more childish.

"I do indeed, Weiss. Would you be my date this weekend?"

Weiss shakes her head and reluctantly smiles.

"Shut up, you dunce."

You laugh in victory. You look across the stream as you exhale and notice the plant. You nudge Weiss and point towards the plant.

"Hey, isn't that what we're looking for?"

Weiss follows your hand and sees the plant.

"That's it. Alright, go get it," Weiss commands.

"What? Me? Why? Oh, fine," you pout, letting your shoulders sag.

You jump to the other side of the river and reach for the plant. It's completely green with some white dots along the roots. There's a red flower on the very top with a blue middle. You can't remember exactly what this plant is and what it does, but all you know is you need it.

"Wait!" Weiss shouts, hopping over the river.

"What?" You gripe, retracting your hand.

"You dunce, don't you pay attention? You can't just remove the flower willy nilly."

"Willy… nilly?" You doubtfully repeat.

Weiss rolls her eyes.

"Let me do it. Step back," she says moving in front of you.

You throw your arms in the air.

"If you knew I was going to do it wrong then why send me over here?" You shout.

"You're right. I'll remember to have zero faith in you from now on," she coyly remarks.

Your face falls flat and your shoulders slouch. She got you fair and square.

Weiss cups water in both hands and holds it around the plant.

"Alright, grab it."

You kneel beside her and quickly rip out the flower. Weiss moves her hands under yours, letting the roots situate in the water. Weiss sighs in relief.

"Perfect. Now we have to get this to my pack. There's a containment unit in there."

"So I have to hold this thing until then?"

Weiss nods.

"If it doesn't have any water to absorb, then it could release extremely deadly gas. Not even our aura could protect us from it."

"Whoa, seriously?" You shout in surprise.

"You really didn't pay attention, do you? Come on, let's go. I'll let Ruby know we've found it," Weiss states, pulling out her scroll.

You and Weiss start walking back to the meeting point, you being insurmountably careful not to drop the plant.

"So, what was this called again? The… terra…"

"The Terratorn flower, yes. Hurry, we're almost there. I don't want you getting hit by the gas."

Finally you and Weiss make it back. Weiss pulls out a small tube from her back pack and holds it towards you.

"Put it in here, quick."

You move your hands over the opening and hold it there for a moment. Weiss watches you and starts to get a bit annoyed that you're taking too long.

"Drop it!"

"This is a careful procedure Weiss! It takes time, and patience!"

Suddenly the plant and water hover out of your hands. You wrap your hand around Weiss' hip and leap away from the plant.

"Hey!" She shrieks.

You land a few feet away from the plant, but… it's still hovering.

"No need to worry students, I can put your plant away. How noble of you to grab Weiss in the face of danger," Glynda compliments, waving her crop towards the tube.

Weiss breaks free of your grip, turning away from you so you can't see her blush. She collects herself and notices that the plant and water are moving towards her. She extends her hand and allows the flora to gently enter the tube. She closes it and places it in her bag.

"Well, you know, it's natural to save such a beautiful woman," you smirk, leaning closer to Weiss.

"Oh please, you aren't getting out of this with flattery," Weiss scolds.

You shrug in a carefree manner.

"I tried."

You look around, seeing everyone starting to come back with their plants. However, you notice Ruby isn't among them.

"Hey, you messaged Little Red, right?" You pose to Weiss.

She nods.

"I did, but I don't see her. Almost everyone else is here too."

 _Hm... She's the fastest of us all. She should be here first…_

"I'll go look for her," you volunteer, walking away.

"Hey! Do you even know where you're going?"

You shrug, still walking away.

"Nope, but I'm sure I can find her. I'm lucky like that."

You leave the group and retrace your steps. It's not easy, since the forest doesn't vary at all. But at least you know it's along the stream, and which way to go. She has to be near a stream, unless something happened to her. But she can take of herself, so Grimm aren't that much of a worry. But Weiss said about that plant… that's what's got you a little worried.

You make it to the stream and look both ways.

 _No sign of her here. Must be farther down._

You turn and begin walking down the stream, keeping your eyes open for a red hood.

 _Of course Little Red gets lost in a place that's mostly red. She'd be a piece of cake to find anywhere else, but nooo._

After about five minutes of seeing red dancing through the air and the sound of crunching, you see something lying on the ground. Ruby is facing you, eyes closed, breathing slow, with a plant in her hand. Your eyes widen, scared at the possibilities. You kick off one foot and start sprinting towards her but stop after a few steps.

"No… Weiss said the gas would knock anyone out. If I get to close, I would be the same," you recollect.

You can see faint hints of a gold mist around her. It's no doubt the gas Weiss spoke of. So, you can't get close to her, which means she has to come to you. You don't have much time to think. She's dying as you stand there, coming up with something to do. Finally, you make a decision. You grab the hilt of your blade and release it to the world, then quickly slash your hand allowing the blood to flow. You twirl the blade in your hand a few times as blood takes over. Once it does, you stab the ground and focus. The blood seeping from your hand increases, but the side effect is worth it. Blood starts making its way towards Ruby in a straight line. Once it reaches her the blood creates a circle around her, then raises from the ground to create a dome. You clench your teeth a bit and pull back on your blade, but keep it in the ground. The blood dome starts moving towards you, getting Ruby out of the mist.

You release your blade the moment Ruby is close to you, and rush to her. The dome returns to a circle before being absorbed into the ground, so none of it falls on the unconscious Huntress-in-Training. You know that the move was probably uncomfortable, as that move isn't meant to be mobile. It's supposed to be a shield, so when you moved it all it did was forcefully push Ruby in the direction it was going. Still, it's better than leaving her in the gas.

You push Ruby onto her back and rest your head on her upper chest, listening for a breathing pattern. It's faint, but it's there. This alone makes you smile in relief. You lift your head away from Ruby and pick her up, one hand under her legs and the other under her back. She somewhat crumples in your arms, and her head rests against your chest. You smile at the sight, as she does look very peaceful at this time. Her breathing is light, and she's snoring a bit, which is really cute.

But now isn't the time to stare at the young girl in your arms. You need to bring her back to the others, pronto. You kick your sword into the air and lean your body back. The blade falls right back into the sheath perfectly. With your blade back home, you start running back to your group. As you run you hear a growl coming from the side. Your eyes drift to the side and notice an Ursa coming right at you. Since you're running he misses you, but you know he won't give up so easily. You jump, twirl, and extend one leg out. You turn and slam your leg down on the Ursa's head with all the power you can muster. The Ursa instantly dies, flopping on the ground. You land graciously, still holding Ruby in the same way, and start running again.

Thankfully no more Grimm attack you, which is good. You don't want Ruby to get hurt. You see some of your classmates up ahead and slow down a bit. You come to a halt the moment you enter the clearing. Everyone looks over at you, and everyone's eyes widen when they see the unconscious Ruby.

"What happened?" Yang questions, rushing to her sister.

"She pulled the plant right out of the ground. The gas got her. Too bad she didn't have you to warn her, huh Weiss?" You cock your eye brow.

Weiss has a downcast face at the sight of her leader.

"Is she okay?" Glynda ask, approaching you.

You nod.

"Yeah, she didn't inhale enough of the gas….. I think. She's still breathing."

"Well, this is rather unfortunate. However, it's a good thing you went to check on her," Glynda says to only you, then speaks to all the students. "Alright students, we'll be returning to the school now. Make sure you have all your materials with you to submit."

"I'll take Ruby," Yang offers, grabbing Ruby.

You hand her over to Yang, who carries her similar to how you did it.

"Thank you. I mean it," Yang says with honestly.

You wave it off.

"You would do the same for me, I hope."

Yang smiles.

"Yeah… I think I would, unless you were making me mad that day."

"Hey!"

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The day is almost up, and you soon have to make it to Tuckson's. Once you returned to Beacon Ruby was sent straight to the medical wing to rest. Glynda and Ozpin allowed you, and the rest of team RWBY to take the day off in order to be with Ruby. She isn't in critical condition, luckily. The nurse said she'd only been exposed to the gas for a few minutes before you got there, so no lasting effects will occur. She just needs time for her body to fight off the gas she inhaled, then she'll wake up.

So, that's what you've been doing. The room Ruby's in is very similar to the one you woke up in on your first day. Thus, everything is white and there's that goddamn light. You occasionally give that light a dirty look, even if it's not the same one that blinded you. Yang is on a chair beside Ruby's bed, being surprisingly patient. Weiss and Blake are standing around the bed, while you lean on the wall opposite of Ruby.

Your eyes are closed and your arms are crossed, making you in that cliché brooding look. You don't really care though. You just want to make sure Ruby's okay when she wakes up. It's been a few hours, so you assume she'll wake up any minute now.

Slowly, Ruby starts fidgeting more, making cute little sounds that make you smile. Her silver eyes are finally opened to the world. She looks around, trying to make sense of where she is. Yang, being beside her, is the first to notice Ruby's awakening. She hugs Ruby, but not too tightly.

"Oh, Ruby! I was so worried about you!" Yang coos, hugging her little sister.

"Oh, thank you Yang," Ruby softly says, hugging her back. She looks around to see Blake, Weiss, and you. "What're you guys doing here? And where am I?"

"You're in the medical wing. You inhaled the Terratorn gas," Weiss explained.

"Oh, the plant. Yeah, I forgot about that," Ruby nervously chuckles, rubbing the back of her head. "So, how did I get here? Did you find me, Weiss?"

Weiss shakes her head.

"No. (Y/N) found you and brought you back."

"And saved you from a Grimm, I may add," you speak, taking a step towards the bed. "How're you doing Little Red? Dizzy at all? Seeing two of me?"

"Cause that's what we need," Weiss comments, smirking.

Ruby giggles.

"Nope, just one of him."

"Thank goodness. So, girls, I have something interesting for you all," Weiss announces, gathering everyone's attention. "Due to our leader's recovery, I am going to treat you all to dinner tonight."

Blake's mouth starts to drool, thinking of the food she could get in town. Yang and Ruby high five as celebration.

"Yeah, Weiss! You rock!" Yang cheers.

Ruby looks over at you.

"Is… is (Y/N) invited?"

Weiss glances at you, raising her brow to ask whether you want to come. You shake your head.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I have plans already with someone."

"Oooh, a date?" Yang teases.

Ruby subtly looks away, but you don't notice.

"Ha, no. Unless you count stacking books with another dude a date, then sure," you jest. "But hey, maybe I'll be able to drop by after I'm done."

"Very well. Are you going now?" Blake inquires.

You shrug.

"Maybe. Now that I know Little Red is alright, I'll probably leave."

You walk around to the opposite side of Yang, but still beside Ruby. You rustle her hair, which she giggles at but still knocks your hand away, making you snicker.

"Glad you're okay, Little Red. Next time we'll stick together, huh?"

Ruby hopefully nods.

"Yeah."

You both gaze into each other's eyes, almost entering a trance where it's just you two. Her glowing silver eyes staring back at you. It's enchanting, really, and you can't help but smile. Weiss, Blake, and Yang watch from the sidelines, confused at what's happening. You eventually snap out of the trance, and look to the others.

"Well, I'll leave you ladies alone," you say, lazily clapping as you slip away.

The girls watch you leave, then all focus on Ruby. She looks at her teammates' confused faces, and become confused herself.

"What?"

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"Nora wouldn't even help us find it. She just found trees with syrup and started drinking it all. She didn't help at all," Jaune explains as you both walk around the grounds of Beacon. "But obviously it wasn't as bad as yours. Is Ruby okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine Jaune. They're even going out to dinner soon, I think. Something like that."

"You're not going?" Jaune intriguingly asks.

You shake your head.

"No, made a promise to help someone out today. So, well, I like to keep my promises. Thank for walking with me to the docking area," you smile as you both stop near the massive aircraft.

"Meh, it was a fun talk. I'll see you another time, (Y/N)," Jaune waves as he turns back to the academy.

You wave back before moving into the line. A clump of people are on their way out of Beacon tonight, mostly because it's Friday and they could be spending their afternoon in the city rather than studying. You're actually surprised that you don't see team RWBY yet. It's been a couple hours since you left them, and that's more than enough time for Ruby to recover and get ready for a night out. But, in the end, it doesn't bother you. If they were here it would make the flight more entertaining, but there's nothing wrong with a quiet flight. You take a seat and relax, scanning the ship to get a read for everyone. You can hear a few conversations here and there, but refuse to focus on them as to avoid the title of an eavesdropper.

So you sit and wait for the ship to depart Beacon and land in Vale. This doesn't take long, thankfully, and you leave the ship immediately. You have a jist of Vale now and can find your way to Tuckson's. As you walk, your mind starts to think of what kind of books Tuckson has brought in. You're allowed to take one, and you're hoping there will be one that catches your eye. Who knows, maybe you and Ruby can read it together after she's done with your book.

Because of the time, it's a tad dark out right now, and will only get darker. You hope you're not too late to help him out. It'd be a shame for you to promise something and to not follow through. You finally reach Tuckson's store, and enter it. The bell rings and you hear some rustling in the back.

"Coming, one moment," Tuckson shouts.

"Tuckson, it's me: (Y/N)," you shout back.

"(Y/N)… the Huntsman?"

"The very same one that promised to help you out," you say, approaching the back.

"Oh, good. The shipment arrived no more than ten minutes ago. Please, come to the back," he directs.

With permission, you go to the back of the store. There's a bunch of boxes neatly organized, which you assume are filled with books. There's an open door that leads to an alleyway, which is where Tuckson walks in with a box.

"Thought you might have been late… well, the truck is back there. Grab the boxes and stack them over here," he explains while placing a box in the corner.

You nod and follow him to the truck. There's at least two dozen boxes in the truck, all piled in the back. You hop into the back of the truck and grab one box to hand to Tuckson. He accepts it and begins walking back to the store. You grab two boxes – one for each hand – and follow him. They are somewhat heavy, yes, but with your strength it's not a problem.

"So Tuckson," you start, placing the boxes down. "Why did you decide to run a book store?"

Tuckson pauses for a moment, almost like he's hesitating… or worried. He shakes it off and walks to the alley.

"Well, my son had a love for books when he was younger. I always liked to buy him new ones and read them to him. I suppose that just stuck with my after all these years," he calmly says.

You both grab some more boxes and start to walk back.

"Oh, so you have a family?"

Tuckson's face droops a bit.

"I _had_ a family. My wife, she… well, she died during childbirth," he reveals.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I-I didn't know," you apologize, truly not meaning to bring up such hard memories.

"No harm in not knowing. It was a long time ago, so I've had time to accept it. But I thank you, anyway," he kindly says.

He hands you two more boxes as he grabs one.

"So, your son, where is he now, if I may ask?"

"My son…" Tuckson seems caught on those two words for the whole walk back to the building. "My son was a… what would be the best word. Not an activist, but he very much believed in Faunus rights."

"Oh, was he a Faunus? Are you?" You casually ask.

Once again, without you seeing, Tuckson tenses up before quickly replying.

"No! No, m-my wife was one. He was a half-breed."

"Oh, that's good," you cheerfully state.

"What's good? That I'm not a Faunus?" He asks with a harshness in his tone.

"No, it's just cool to see an example of a human and Faunus having a relationship. With all this hatred and the White Fang… well it's just nice to hear about these small stories. Things like that should be in the news."

You both place boxes down and go another round.

"So, you don't hate the Faunus?"

You shake your head vigorously.

"No, not a chance. Who cares if someone has a tail or a pair of fluffy ears? We're all just people, you know? I'd help a Faunus out as instinctively as I'd help a human."

Tuckson smiles at your words. It warms his heart to hear of a Huntsman that isn't closed minded about Faunus. Perhaps his first assumptions of you were wrong. Your words were genuine, and your smile wasn't forced. You're a Huntsman, but you're taking the time out of your day to help a common store owner with his inventory. Maybe that's what the world needs more of. Then again, if there was a choice between slaying Grimm and stacking books, it's obvious which one you'd go for.

Thus, after some conversation that helped make the time fly and the work easy, you and Tuckson bring all the boxes to his store room, piling them almost to the ceiling. You wipe your hands on your jeans while Tuckson smiles.

"Thank you for your help, (Y/N). I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem. It was nice. So… can I check out some of the books?" You eagerly ask.

Tuckson chuckles.

"Yes, go ahead. But try not to rip open the boxes, please."

You nod.

"Of course! Thank you!"

You march over to the boxes and begin to look through them Tuckson leaves the back room and back to the desk. He notices how dark it is now, which means it's late.

"Gonna have to close soon. Probably won't get many more customers. I'll shut down when (Y/N)'s done picking his book," Tuckson whispers to himself.

Suddenly the door opens, and the bell rings.

"Welcome to Tuckson's Book Trade, home to…"

Tuckson stops speaking when he realizes who's there. The man's wearing a white hooded cloak, keeping his identity a secret, but Tuckson sees right through it. He knows who's under there.

"Tuckson," he greets. "I haven't seen you lately."

His voice isn't too deep, and almost sounds like a younger man's voice. However it's serious and has a deadly tone to it.

"I've… been busy," Tuckson hesitantly responds.

"Too busy for your brothers? Come now, you know it's unwise not to attend our meetings," he deviously smiles. "Now are you going to fulfill your promise? If not… well… it would not end well for you."

Tuckson grinds his teeth, thinking of some way out of this.

The man smiles.

"Think on it, Tuckson. It would be a shame to see your little shop disappear… and you along with it."

With that last warning, the man turns around and leaves. Once he exits the store Tuckson exhales, releasing all anxiety and fear with one breath. You come up behind Tuckson a moment later.

"That guy… who is he?"

"You heard?" He exclaims.

"We'll talk about what I heard later. For now, who is that guy?"

Tuckson sighs, knowing he's been caught.

"His name is Dylan Brine, also known as The Son of the Waves. He's… he's a lieutenant in the White Fang, and a powerful one at that. He's tore a man apart until there was nothing but bone."

You smirk, then pat Tuckson's shoulder.

"I'll deal with him," you declare, making your way around his desk.

"What? No! You'll be killed!"

You chuckle.

"Tuckson, I've fought a lot of people before, so don't think I'm a rookie. Besides, he's threatening this place, and that I cannot allow. I'll be back to pick up that book, and when I come back, you better answer some of my questions. Fair enough?"

Tuckson wants to argue with you, to make you see reason, but there's a fire in your eye. He sighs, defeated.

"Very well. Just be careful."

"Gotcha," you wink.

You exit Tuckson's store and scan the streets for the cloaked figure. Your eyes easily distinguish him from the rest, and you begin to tail your target. He's walking rather slowly, and there's not many people walking around Vale at this time. It's extremely easy to follow him from a distance, but that makes you worried.

 _Why is he allowing himself to be such a target? He has no idea I'm here, but it seems like anyone could tail him. Does he not care? He might not even be going anywhere important. A White Fang higher-up must be going somewhere important or vital. I guess I just have to keep following him._

The white cloak flows through the streets and you follow the white flash. It's almost like a ghost in the way it moves and how nobody acknowledges it. It's as if you and it are the only things here, and everything thing else is false. But, finally, after walking for a few blocks, the figure enters an alley. You look beside the alley and notice a giant opera house. Its craftsmanship is beautiful with designs flowing like water.

 _Huh, this looks amazing. Is this the place that Weiss mentioned a few days ago? Hm, well I'll give the girl some credit, it's a sight to see. Maybe I'll drop by here with her and impress her with my infinite knowledge._

You skulk up to the alleyway and notice there's a metal door blocking off the alleyway.

"Hm, not suspicious at all."

You walk up to the door, lean on one leg, and knock. A small latch opens at the top, revealing a White Fang member.

"Housekeeping?" You smile, but he slams the latch closed.

You roll your eyes and start to walk away.

"Well, that's a shame. How am I ever going to-"

You turn around and sprint towards the door. You jump, spin around, and drive your foot into the door. It flies off its hinges, trampling the White Fang member. You casually walk in, rubbing your hands together in anticipation while the few members raise their guns at you. You saunter towards them, making them nervous.

"Is that Slater?"

"I think it is."

 _They know me? How? Whatever, best not let them alert everyone else._

In what seems like a second, you burst in front of the first one, then thrust your fist into his stomach. He coughs up spit and falls to the ground, knocked out. You look over to the other one, who's a little to the left of you. You jump, push yourself off the wall, and zoom over to the next guy, delivering a solid punch to his jaw. Like his friend, he's out cold. With no threat around, you scan the area. There's a door into the opera house a short distance down the alleyway, but there's also a window you can enter up above.

You bounce from wall to wall until you reach the height, then smoothly land through the window. You're in the rafters, so it's dark. You're not visible from anyone below, so this is a perfect location. There are a few wooden rails going across the building and up. There aren't any chairs where you are, and instead there's spotlights. A plethora of cords link into one box that's on the other side of the building, which you can reach if you need. There are spider webs about, giving it the typical abandoned building feeling. There's one spot light that's focused near the middle, lighting up most of the base floor.

You approach the railing and look down. Most of the chairs seem to be rotted away, or moved. There are crates of weapons scattered about, but there are fewer than you thought. You notice some White Fang members grabbing the remaining crates and taking them back stage.

The cloaked man approaches someone in a white dress coat, red hair that's covering one eye, and a hat.

"Hurry up, you mutts. We don't have time to smell the roses," Roman orders. "And what are you doing wearing that outfit?"

The cloaked man grabs his chest and rips the cloak off of him. Standing there is a taller, lanky man with short, shaggy brown hair. There's cat ears in there, but it's hard to spot due to his hair. He face is soft with bright blue eyes, and his head seems a tiny bit small. However, he isn't bulky, so it works with his body. He's wearing a red t-shirt under a grey, cargo jacket over it, though the jacket's sleeves only reach slightly past his elbows. He has brown khakis and dark red shoes. He has black gloves covering his hands that have blue jewels sitting on the hand. They're both in halves, like a semicircle.

You raise your brow as you look at the new person.

 _That… that's the same guy who ran away before. The one Blake let get away. He looks different. He's more confident now, and is dressed differently._

"Are we almost done, Roman? We have to move these weapons out."

"Yeah, I'm working on it, don't hiss at me."

Dylan's eyes droop in disinterest.

"I'm not in the mood for these games, Roman. I have other things to worry about," he says.

"Aww, you're worried about the bookstore clerk?" Roman mocks.

"He's still a Faunus, and I'm hoping he comes to his senses."

"Well, not all animals can be tamed," Roman smirks, turning around and walking with his cane.

Dylan grinds his teeth but decides to let it go. He's used to Roman by now, and he knows how rude he is to the White Fang.

"You act like that around Aza?" Dylan questions, not looking at Roman.

Roman stops dead in his tracks. He flinches, thinking of what to say.

"Of course not. I'm utterly polite with women. Ask my ex-wife."

"Nice try, you weren't married. You used that before," he smirks with victory.

"Ah, shut up kid. Just make sure we get these weapons to the bullheads," Roman commands.

Suddenly, a spotlight shines up above, right on you.

"White Fang, enemies to the humans, using an old human building!" You recite, slowly walking across a thin wooden platform.

"Oh no," Dylan sighs, recognizing the voice.

"It's actually revered as an artifact of humans, and yet you use it for their destruction. IS," you spin around, raising your hand to your face and slowly clenching it. "THIS. IRONY?" You finish, standing prominently before all the men and women in the room.

Dylan clenches his fist. Suddenly the blue jewels on his hands start to glow, and two golden poles shoot out of the side, sticking out a few inches. The poles extend towards his arm, connecting at the center and creating a semicircle on each hand. He pulls his fist back and punches the air. A rush of wind flies out of the jewel, going straight at you. The pressure hits your location, shattering the support beam to pieces. But, you're not there anymore.

Dylan keeps his cool as he scans the room.

"Roman, get the weapons out of the building. I'll hold off Slater."

"Wait, that's the Slater kid?" Roman questions.

"This is between two old friends, Roman. Let us settle this as such," Dylan calmly states.

Another spotlight activates looking at a railing on the right side of the building.

"A human and Faunus friend?" You start in a questioning manner, placing your hand on your chest. "Is that even possible in the White Fang? Perhaps he cares more than I thought? Come here? Give your friend a hug!"

Dylan shoots another wave at you, but when it hits you're gone.

You land on a different railing, still shrouded in darkness.

 _Hm… That blast made my jacket wave. I even felt it press against my hand. It's air. Very pressurized air. Hell, if I'm right, that could blow the skin off my body if not for my aura. I gotta be careful here. A hit from that could hurt._

You smile and wait another moment. A different spotlight shines on you, giving you the attention.

"And I, like you, shall fight to the end. My conviction, your orders, and shall we throw them together until one shatters to bits. But you believe in your orders through and through."

Dylan shoots at you again, but you hop away, landing on the chandelier in the middle of the room then jumping off of that to land on a different railing. As soon as you land another light shines on you.

"So is it your conviction and orders, versus my conviction alone? Am I at a disadvantage? Have I lost before we've even begun?" You melodramatically whine.

"You're just as annoying as you were last time," Dylan states, staring at you.

You shrug.

"Meh, I just wasn't in the mood. I mean, you do recognize that, right? It's from a Faunus play."

Dylan shoots you, but you dodge once more, landing on a wooden support farther away from him, in the middle of the theater. The final light shines on you.

"Good, waste your time with me," Dylan whispers. "You're very elusive, you know? Maybe I should start getting serious."

You roll your shoulder.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Well, we could keep doing plays. That would be fun," you admit.

Dylan grabs something a vial out of his pouch under his jacket. It's blue, and… familiar. You've seen something like that before. Dylan shoves the vial into the jewels, then smashes his fist together. His weapons perfectly match up as a perfect circle with the blue jewels creating one. The jewels light up a brighter blue, then he releases them. He pulls back his fist and punches at you. Air shoots out, as normal, but shards of ice are sent at you too.

"Hey, chill out!" You scream, jumping out of the way.

The ice spreads near the front of the theater, making that a dangerous zone for you. You land on the stage and take a stance.

"And here we are, ladies and gentlemen, the battle between Slater and Brine. The Son of the Waves versus the Son of… hm… other Slater? Son of Slater?" You pose.

Dylan clenches his fist.

"Do… you ever shut up?" He growls, turning one eye towards you and giving you a deadly stare.

"It would be counterproductive if I stopped talking during a production. The audience would get terribly bored."

Dylan releases his tension and starts smiling.

"Alright… we'll satisfy this audience you're speaking of."

You raise your brow, preparing yourself for whatever he might be planning. Dylan lifts his hands, and you notice his eyes become an even brighter blue. Water suddenly starts forming around him, creating spears.

"Son of the Waves… yeah, I see it now," you nod.

Dylan throws a spear at you, which you easily dodge by jumping up to the rafters. He starts creating one after another, throwing them at you every time you land. You roll over one, land on a railing then hop, letting one fly between your legs. You land back on the railing then cartwheel to the side, avoiding another one that destroys the railing. You hop off the railing, evading another spear, and land across the way. Dylan pulls his hands towards his body, then extends them out, sending water everywhere. Unable to dodge an attack that has no limit, you form an X with your arms and get slammed into the wall. The wood breaks on your impact, but still keeps you in the building.

You rub your head and moan as you pick yourself up. You walk over to the railing, seeing what Dylan's doing.

"Well, it is wise to keep hydrated," you remark, and then end up chuckling at your own joke.

Dylan smiles.

"Yes, well, we should keep this fight electrifying, too."

Dylan grabs another vile from his pouch, puts the vial in a jewel, clamps his fists together. The jewel turns yellow, and sparks start flying. Your eyes widen when you see this, and then you frantically look around the area.

"He never tried to hit me," you realize.

"Of course not. I just needed enough water around to shock you," Dylan says, raising his fist.

"Ha! I get it. Oh, wait, no!"

Dylan shoves his fist into the ground, sending electricity surging all over. Even with the wooden design, the amount of water covering the surface is more than enough to keep the electricity flowing. You jump off the railing and land on the chandelier, as it's the only safe spot you can see. You can see the electricity still in the water all around.

 _Damn… there's nowhere to land. Wait… but then…_

You look over at Dylan, who's preparing a punch. You notice that there's no water around him at all.

 _Of course, he can control water. He's keeping it a safe distance away. Which means I have to get up close and personal!_

Dylan shoots only air at you, which you manage to jump right over. The chandelier crashes through the opera house and lands near the entrance.

"Brine, this is Roman. The weapons are loaded and we're all onboard. Where are you?" Roman informs through a headset in Dylan's ear.

"I'm busy with Slater," he says, watching you soar over him. "I'll get there soon."

You judged your power perfectly. You land right in front of Dylan, within the small circle of dry wood. Dylan throws a hook and fires his weapon at the same time, but you duck under it and connect a shot to his stomach.

 _So he's like Yang. He uses his weapons to power his punches._

Dylan starts moving back, which moves the safe zone with him. You have no choice but to follow, so you do. You start kicking high and low. Whenever you need to move closer you hop towards him and switch legs. Dylan handles you efficiently, blocking your attacks. You attempt to swoop his legs but he hops over it. He comes down from his hop with an attempted elbow. You continue the motion to swoop again, but this time you plant your hand in the ground and your leg high, guiding the elbow away. As you continue with the motion, you plant both hands into the ground, move both feet in the air, and spin your body to the momentum, entering a handstand position. With Dylan disoriented, and you in a perfect position, you bring your feet down on his back one after another, watching him upside down. Dylan catches one of your legs and tries to punch it. Knowing that, with the pressurized air, he could break your leg, you swing yourself up, moving your entire body above his and breaking free from his grip. You bring your one foot back and kick the back of Dylan's head. You continue by spinning around and driving the side of your foot into his back.

Dylan turns around and charges his punch. He hits you right in the stomach, activating the air. You fly back towards the stage at an insane velocity. You notice you're headed for just above the stage, where there's a solid surface. You manage to land on that, but everything else behind you shatters. You burst from your location and charge a punch on the way. Dylan doesn't expect this, and doesn't react fast enough to counter. You send your fist into his cheek, making a clapping sound on impact. It's so strong that Dylan flies back, smashing through the entrance of the opera house and landing in the street.

You can hear screaming from civilians outside. You keep your eyes on Dylan, who's slowly getting up. He grinds his teeth and clenches his fists. It's just like the first time he met you, and you killed all his allies. That time he didn't have weapons, and this time he does. But he still can't beat you. You haven't even taken out your sword, and still you're finding a way to beat him.

Dylan grabs another vial from his pouch and shoves it into the jewel. It glows a pure red, and Dylan smiles. He falls to one knee and keeps his weapons connected. Slowly, a vortex forms in the jewel. You attempt to see it, but it's quite the distance away and the darkness doesn't help. But it's easy to see the ever growing glow coming from him.

"Eat this, Slater!" He shouts, releasing a tornado of fire towards the building. Your eyes widen and you start running towards the side of the building. Thankfully the electricity is gone now, so you can run easily. You jump to the top floor and attract your blade mid-jump.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" You frantically shout.

You unsheathe Crimson Blaze and slice open the wall, allowing you to escape. You jump out the building, bounce off the wall, then bounce off the opera house to reach the top of the adjacent building. During the last jump, the tornado hits, devastating the building. The force sends you flying across the rooftop and falling off the other side. You hit the other building flat on, somewhat hurting you. You push off that building and move towards the street. You grab a glowing sign pole and land atop a random store's sign. You see the building flaming, and Dylan separating his weapons. People are frantically running away, screaming. Nobody seems to notice you standing on a sign above them.

You prepare to attack, but you notice something near the building. A small child under the building, in the fetal position and crying. The opera house is falling apart, and it won't be long before something lands on him. You jump off the sign and run towards the child. As you predicted, a piece of the opera house separates from the rest. You run as fast as you can then slide to his side. You raise your hands and catch the charcoaled debris.

"Kid! Run!" You shout, struggling to keep the debris up.

Then you remember. You remember your fight. You turn your head to see Dylan loading up another shot.

"Damn. KID! GO!"

The child, scared beyond belief, starts running away. However, you hear more cracking and see another part of the building about to fall on him. You try to throw the debris away and reach him, but you can't act fast enough. You can just watch as the debris falls.

 **Boom**

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"Ahhhh, that was the best," Ruby smiles with satisfaction. "I never knew food could taste so good."

Blake chuckles.

"I have to agree. The way they cook their fish is surprisingly satisfying."

"What can I say, I have good taste in restaurants," Weiss smugly says, smiling.

All of a sudden a loud roar erupts in the distance. Team RWBY looks towards the sound and sees flames shooting out from all over the place. Without a word, the team knows what to do. They all start running to the location, preparing for battle.

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The debris explodes into tiny pieces, letting the boy escape. Puzzled, you look around to see where that came from, and who saved him. Your eyes only see Dylan, who seems to have punches already. He looks at you and hesitates.

"I-I missed," he stutters.

You toss the debris to the side and get ready for round two. There's no reason to hold back anymore. People could be in danger, and you can't act fair right now. You don't like fighting hand-to-hand combatants with your weapon, but this time you have to. You attract Crimson Blaze to your hand then unsheathe the blade. It's time to get serious.

Dylan starts shooting smaller fire blasts at you, which you fluently weave to the side to dodge. He shoots his last one as you approach and you jump over it, then come down on him. He connects his fists, making the jewel glow. It starts forming a shield that you connect with. You grunt, pushing as hard as you can against this shield. It doesn't seem to be cracking at all. In fact, you don't even know if you can get past it. It's very similar to your blood shield, but without blood.

You push on the blade, allowing you to gain some distance.

"Still haven't dealt with him yet? Do I have to do everything myself," Roman shouts in Dylan's ear.

You both hear the roar of Bullheads soar over your heads. Three of them circle around to the farthest end of the street and beginning raining down on you. You spin your sword, deflecting every bullet that's close to you. You take a few steps back, then decide to leap and gain some distance.

The Bullheads stop firing and take up a position around Dylan. One lands in the street and opens its doors for him. He sprints into the Bullhead and watches you as it takes off, smiling. You grip your sword tightly and get ready to attack when you hear something behind you. It sounds like… heels?

A woman passes you. Hat, dark shades, brownish clothes, and an interesting fashion sense. She's holding a purse and walking so nonchalantly that you know she's not some random civilian; the biggest hint to that being the bandolier of bullets around her.

"Nice job, kid. First week at Beacon and already you've cause a scene," she jokes.

"Well, you know, I like to set records," you say, relaxing a bit.

She looks back at you with a smile.

"(Y/N) Slater right? Name's Coco. We'll get formal later, for now let's take these guys down."

"I'm all down for that, but how do you expect to fight anyone with a pur-"

Coco bends her knees and moves one hand forward. Her purse starts morphing into something bigger, and far more deadly. It transforms itself into a minigun.

"Okay… okay, I stand corrected," you admit, backing off.

Coco smiles, then unleashes a barrage of bullets, making the Bullheads think twice about sticking around. Some start to escape, but there's one you're most interested in: the one with Dylan Brine. Since Coco's providing cover, you take this chance to rush forward. The door to the Bullhead hasn't closed yet, and you'll use that to your advantage. You sheath your blade then throw the sword as hard as you can into the Bullhead. Dylan sees the weapon and ducks out of the way, letting it hit the back wall and fall on the ground.

"Close the doors!" He commands, and not a moment later the doors close.

You smile, as your plan's going marvelously. You run as fast as your legs allow you, then leap forward a bit, land on the ground, and rocket into the air. Coco watches you fly towards one Bullhead, and redirects her fire so she doesn't help you. She notices one Bullhead retreats altogether, while the other ones linger. She aims for those lingering ones.

As you get closer to the ship you extend your arm forward, attracting your sword to you. The sheath flies against the Bullhead's door, messing up the flying. Nobody can do anything about it as the ship starts drifting towards you.

"Open the damn door!" Dylan commands, knowing they'll crash if this continues.

The moment the door opens he sees you, smiling and coming towards him. The sword returns to your hands and you land in the ship. You slide on your heels as you enter, then flip backwards, dodging a punch from a White Fang member. You land behind him, spin, and kick him into the wall. Another comes at you with a punch, which you simply lean back to dodge, then smack him down with your sheath. Dylan tackles you against the back of the ship. He attempts to punch you, but you move your head out of the way and make him hit the ship. You move your feet in between you two and spring Dylan towards the cockpit.

He smashes into the co-pilots seat, which messes up the pilot. With your bearings gained, you throw your weapon at the control stick, snapping it off entirely. With no control, the Bullhead starts to crash. You attempt to get out, but the drop is sending you all over the place except the exit. You end up smashing into a button, which closes the door. Dylan falls into the back with you, but you can't fight since you both keep hitting the walls. It finally spins out, smashing atop a building.

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Coco shoots down the last Bullhead, which crashes into the water. With no more threats, she reverts her minigun back to a purse. She fixes her glasses and looks around.

"Hm… wonder where the other kid went?"

The moment she finishes the sentence, she hears an explosion somewhere close.

"Oh… over there, probably."

Down the street four girls come into view of Coco. They all have their weapons ready, and are scanning the area for danger. Coco struts towards them, recognizing them as team RWBY.

"You kids are late, I'm afraid. The rest ran away," Coco confidently states.

The girls lower their weapons.

"What happened here?" Weiss asks.

Coco follows Weiss' eyes to the opera house. Coco returns her attention to the girls and shrugs.

"No idea. Was like that when I got here. I assume the other one knows."

"Other one?" Blake repeats.

"Yeah, green jacket, jeans, black shirt, pretty cute."

Ruby facepalms.

"Oh, no…"

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Smoke billows from the crash site, and the rest of the Bullhead is on fire. You start coughing as you regain consciousness. You extend your hand forward and pull yourself further away from the crash. After a few pulls, you lay back down, breathing heavy.

"Talk about a rough landing, jeez," you complain, feeling your body aching.

You push yourself onto your back to get some fresh air and to stop eating dirt. You're breathing is heavy, but you're alive. Surviving a crash is a first for you, admittedly, but it was the only way you could take them down. Speaking of them, you look towards the crash. A few White Fang are hanging out of the Bullhead, probably dead. You push your upper body off the ground and lean on your hands. You scan the area until you find Dylan Brine under a wing. There's no fire around him, but he's definitely in bad shape.

You lift your hand into the air, and not a moment later Crimson Blaze burst out from the crash site. You attach it to your belt and stand up. Your job's done here, though you caused more commotion than you wanted. But now you have no way to find those other White Fang members, like that red haired cane guy. You cross your arms, thinking of a way to track them down. You know Vale's had a problem with them lately, and it's your duty as a stand-up citizen and Huntsman-in-Training to stop this threat. But you have to find them first. Your eyes drift back to Brine. He's still lying under the wing, barely breathing.

"Hm…"

 **And here we are my friends. I'm very happy to see you've all been enjoying this series so far. I love reading every review and comment I get, truly. It helps keep me going to see all the feedback, whether it be constructive criticism or what you liked in that specific chapter. I swear, I must be a tease for Yang fans. I'm so sorry, guys!**

 **Anyhow, I actually have a little proposition for any artists out there. I want to create a custom picture for this story. I can't really find one on google that I like, and the current one is… well it's not really what I want in this story. So, if there are any artists out there who have time to draw a custom picture for me, than I'd really appreciate it! Of course I would pay you. I'm not expecting anything for free. But please, if you are interested in creating a picture for me then send me a private message. I'd love to speak with you!**

 **Also, I've decided to add in a little bonus at the end of every chapter, just for fun. A little fact thing, if you will. Every chapter I will put a fact about a character in this story, the concepts, how it came to be, and so on. No spoilers, obviously, but I think it would be a fun little thing to have at the end of every chapter. So the very last line of this authors note will be this chapter's fact.**

 **Lastly, I've been holding a poll on to see what my next RWBY story will be. Sorry for the people on other websites, but Fanfiction has a built in poll system and it just makes everything easier. Anyway, I've decided to end the poll today. Throughout its lifespan the poll was always extremely tied. Even now, at its end, the winner only has one vote more than the others. I thank those who voted. But, the winner and next RWBY story I write will be… RWBY: Illusion. Yes, the Weiss x Male Reader is next. Don't think I'm starting it right now though, because I'm not! But when I start writing another RWBY story it will be that one. Don't worry Blake and Yang fans, I still intend to write Devil of Beacon and Limitless.**

 **Anyhow, that's all I can think of for right now. I thank you all for reading, and look forward to seeing you next chapter.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **FACT 1: I actually learned of RWBY through a fanfiction called "Weiss and I" on . I fell in love with the story and the character of Weiss through the story alone. However, since I had no idea who any of these characters looked like, or anything about RWBY, I decided to watch one or two episodes. HA! I got hooked instantly, and thus my RWBY career began. This is similar to how I started writing Frozen fanfiction, and how I started writing at all. It began with a fanfiction I fell in love with, I watched the movie, and decided to make my own stories. It seems I can only get into things through "X Readers". Odd, huh?**

 **BONUS FACT: Because I started with a Weiss x Reader, I really wanted to write a Weiss x Reader story. However, since there was such a good one already, that being "Weiss and I", I thought I should give a different character a chance, so I dismissed Weiss as a decision altogether.**


	10. Chapter 10: A Passenger of Sorts

**Chapter 10: A Passenger of Sorts**

The last airship departs from Beacon's docking bay, letting off a few different students. The rush of the airship rustles with your hair and pushes you down. You mumble as you reach up and grab another piece rock to pull yourself up. You grip the hand wrapping around your body tighter, and boost him up a bit. You move up a bit more, keeping the body with you. Your foot slips and rocks fall from the Cliffside, falling all the way down to the water below. You look down at your foot and let out a sigh of relief.

Yes, you're back at Beacon, but you couldn't just take the airship back. The reason is simple: you have the unconscious body of Dylan Brine on your back. Of course you can't just carry a body around Beacon and think its fine. So, you had to find another way to get to Beacon. You managed, somehow, but it's not fun in the least. You're tired, sore, and irritated. It's fair to be those things after your night, and the journey to reach the point you're at now. With the thought of your comfortable bed in your mind, you shall persevere. You continue to climb, adjust, and climb some more.

You finally get to the top. You throw Dylan over your shoulder and onto the docking area, giving you both your arms back. You lift yourself onto the platform and lie beside Dylan, taking a break.

"Oh yeah, (Y/N), this was a great idea. Let's just use a door from the opera house, and swim over to cliff, and then I'll climb. Genius. All for this guy who tried to kill me," you rant, expressing all hatred you have towards your current situation.

You huff, then turn to Dylan who's still unconscious.

"I gotta get you back to my room before you wake up. Or before Ms. Goodwitch catches me. Oh god, Ms. Goodwitch… I have to move."

You get onto your feet and pick up Dylan, piggybacking him. You carefully walk towards the dorms, keeping an eye out for anyone, be it student or teacher. You take cover behind plants, buildings, and columns; always scanning the area before making any progression. It is easier to carry Dylan around now, which makes the entire thing easier and makes you less irritated. You don't necessarily regret your decision to save him at the moment, but it has been a lot of trouble just to bring him back to Beacon. You just hope it's worth it.

You inevitably reach the dorms, your next objective being your room. You take extra precautions as you walk the halls. You're on your tippy toes, and your eyes are darting back and forth faster than they ever have been. You reach the side corridor and look down it. Nobody. You sigh in relief then dash across the opening to the next wall. Now that your room is just down the hall, you scurry towards it without any regard for others. Thankfully nobody pokes their head out to see you, likely because it's so late.

You reach for the door handle and start turning it.

"Wait, don't I need my–"

To your surprise, the handle doesn't seize and the door opens.

"Huh… did I leave it unlocked or something? I thought I needed my scroll to – you know what, I'm not even going to complain."

You push open the door and feel an overwhelming amount of relief wash over you. You're finally back to your room, safe and sound, and nobody even kn-

"Hey there," a voice cheerily greets.

You slam your back into the wall, and in the process crush Dylan, and let his legs go so they dangle behind your own. You look around the room and see Ruby sitting on your bed, happily swaying side to side and lightly kicking her dangling legs.

"H-Hey Little Red," you nervously greet, your voice trembling. "What're you- How did- when did you get in my room?" You ask, though a thousand questions are beaming through your mind right now.

Ruby reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a scroll.

"You gave this to Blake, remember? You never asked for it back so I, as leader, took on the responsibility to give it back. Seeing as you weren't here I thought it would only be fair to wait for you," she grins with ill intent.

You narrow your eyes at her, knowing she's up to something. There's a friendly tension in the air as you both glare at each other, waiting for the other to break first.

"Well I thank you very much for the kindness. So please drop the scroll on the bed and leave," you request.

Ruby does indeed drop the scroll on your bed, but she does anything but leave. She saunters towards you, hand behind her back.

"So, how was your book stuff? Did it really take all night?" She snarkily asks.

"Y-Yeah. Tons of books, let me tell you," you lie, shifting yourself so Ruby can't see Dylan behind you.

"So you couldn't make it to our dinner. I was very disappointed to not see you tonight," Ruby admits, though you can tell by her voice she's just playing with you as if you're a victim in her maze.

"Well, you know, only have so much time in a day. Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't want to have some guy messing up your girls night, would you?" You faintly chuckle, losing all hope.

 _Damn, I gotta move Brine somewhere. If she hasn't seen him already then it won't be long until she does. Come on (Y/N), think!_

You divert your eyes from Ruby and realize the bathroom door's open. You might be able to put him in there for now, but you need to distract Ruby for at least a second.

"Hm, maaaybe. But I would have liked it if you came," Ruby says, going a little red and surrendering her dominance.

Once you notice her looking away, you grip Dylan's arm and throw him into the bathroom. He crashes into the shower, drawing Ruby's attention. Before she can see anything you bolt right in her view. You're nervously chuckling, trying to cover your tracks.

"Hehe, my shampoo must have fallen," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your head.

Ruby's blush goes away, and her dominance returns, along with her smile.

"You seem nervous, (Y/N)."

"You seem very different, Ruby," you say as she speaks.

"Did you do anything interesting tonight?"

"When did you become so sadistic?"

You both stare at each other, waiting for the other to speak. Ruby can't hold her excitement and bursts out laughing. You're left confused and, frankly, scared at her sudden outburst. She slaps her leg, trying to cope with the feeling.

"Y-You're so red. Ahaha, (Y/N) you're scared of me," she says in between laughs.

"You- what are you?" You shout, flustered.

Ruby pats your shoulder.

"Oh (Y/N), you never cease to brighten my day," she smiles, cocking her head to the side.

You blush at her pure cuteness, and quickly look away.

"Hmph, whatever."

Ruby smiles, then grabs her scroll. She starts flipping through things as she speaks.

"Anyway, I do have something to ask you." She lifts her scroll and shows you the news. "Was this you?"

You focus on the scroll and your eyes instantly widen. The opera is on fire in the background with reporters in front of it.

"Vale's famous opera house that has been closed down for over a decade has been destroyed tonight in a massive fire. Witnesses say that this wasn't an accident, but the result of a battle between two unidentified parties. Remains from crashed Bullheads reveal the White Fang was involved, but who stopped them? Authorities are unclear of that right now."

You push Ruby's scroll out of your face.

"Okay, so… what?"

"You can't tell me that wasn't you!"

"Yes I can. It wasn't me," you cheekily respond.

Ruby puffs her cheeks and rests her hands on her hips.

"Whaaaat?" You complain, walking towards your bed.

Ruby sighs.

"Fine, I guess there's no proof you were there," Ruby admits, walking towards your door.

"Thank you. I was just enjoying the-"

"Except Coco saw you there too so ha!" Ruby incoherently spews before closing your door in victory.

You stand dumbfounded, blinking twice.

"How does that prove your point when you leave?" You shout, knowing she's gone.

Your door opens with Ruby popping her head back in, victoriously smiling.

"Ha! I knew it!" She yells, marching up to you. "What were you thinking? Taking on the White Fang all by yourself is reckless! We were in town, why not call us?" She lectures.

You realize that her tone is different. She isn't rubbing in that she was right, and she's not mad at you. She almost sounds concerned for you. Genuinely concerned.

"What would have happened if you were hurt? Huh?"

You shrug.

"I… really don't know. I'm used to fighting on my own, so, you know, it's usual for me."

You step away from Ruby and move onto your bed, then look out your window. Ruby's face is downcast. She becomes determined and hops on the bed beside you. She reaches for your shoulder then slowly retracts. Her shaking hands hovers in the air as her mind decides whether to go through with her actions or not. She takes in a deep breath and fills herself with conviction. She pats your shoulder, which makes you look at her, only to be met by a light slap. Her hand cups your face, never going through with the slap. You're surprised at the young Huntress-in-Training's actions, and your face conveys it. She, however, is staring at you with confidence and… a comfortable feeling.

"You aren't alone anymore, so don't you dare try to fight every battle on your own," she says. "We'll help you no matter what. Me, Yang, everyone! It's what a team does."

"But… we're not on a team," you half-heartedly argue.

Ruby shakes her head.

"We are a team, (Y/N). Don't forget that."

With those last words, Ruby smiles, which hits your heart. She looks away from you and bounces off your bed and leaving your room. You remain still, staring at where Ruby used to be.

"We… are a team?" You whisper to yourself.

You're stuck on Ruby's words for at least five minutes, sitting still like a statue.

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Ruby exits your room, gently closing the door. Once she hears the door click she exhales all her breath and falls against the door. She's sweating, fidgeting, and scared. Yet she's feeling excited, accomplished and powerful.

"I… I actually talked to him like that. Ohhhh I was so cool. I slapped him and was like 'It's what a team does' and he was all like 'But… we're not on a team,'" she imitates you in a less than manly manner. "And I was all like 'We are a team.' Oooooh," Ruby squeals, her body tensing up from excitement as she falls over on the floor, kicking her feet to let out some energy.

She then sprawls out in front of your door, happily chuckling. She's proud of herself that she could pull that off. At the start she had to stop herself from laughing, but at the end it took everything to not break down, and to keep a serious face. She really was scared when she learned what Coco told her. She knows about the burning building, about the one shooting fire, about you saving a child, and even you crashing in a Bullhead. Coco and team RWBY visited the crash site, hoping to find you there, but you weren't. Ruby knew you were alive, but she was scared of what could have happened. You could have died right there in the crash if you weren't lucky. She just wishes they were there with you. She wishes she was there.

Ruby's cheek heat up at the thought, and she scares herself with it. She bounces to her feet and looks at your door. She's feeling odd right now that no words could describe. Not even her mind can formulate any reasonable judgement about it.

She lets out a soft smile.

"I'm glad you're okay, (Y/N)."

With that last whisper, she returns to her room.

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You're motionless, still thinking on Ruby's words. It takes a rustling from the bathroom to break you out of your trance.

"Right, Brine. I should probably… restrain him... yeah," you say with a lack of enthusiasm.

You get off your bed and walk towards the bathroom. On the way you grab your chair and slide it out from your desk. You enter the bathroom and notice Dylan is fidgeting. He'll no doubt wake up soon. You grab his arm and pull him out of tub. His body is mostly limp, and his face is about to yours. You pull him towards you and maneuver him to your back. You carry him to the chair and rest him on it with some caution. You grab his hands and examines the jewels he has.

 _Hm… they're attached to gloves, similar to Yang's. Easy enough._

You slip off the gloves and set them down on your desk. You turn back to Dylan and think.

 _I should probably restrain him. Even if he doesn't have his weapons, I don't think just letting him walk around would be a good idea… or would it?_

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Dylan's senses start coming back to him one at a time. First comes sound, but he only hears the faint whistling of the wind outside the window. Then comes smell, which is a scent that he's never smelt before. The entire environment smells different, except for one thing. He can smell someone who makes his stomach churn. Next comes his sight. His eyes flutter open, and he's greeted by an unfamiliar wall. He looks around the room, trying to get his bearings. But then he starts to feel again. His entire body is completely sore from both the sight and the crash.

He grinds his teeth to deal with the pain, but he can't focus on that right now. He has to learn where he is. His ears pick up running water in the next room over. He stands up and looks at the closed door. At that moment he realizes there's no restraints on him, despite what he smells. He looks down at him, making sure he's unharmed. The first thing he notices is that his weapon, Zephyr Shale, are gone.

Once he realizes this, the other door opens. You walk out, rubbing your hands on your jeans and sniffling.

"I would not go into that bathroom just yet, if you know what I'm saying," you smirk, wafting in front of your face.

Dylan clenches his fists and gets into a fighting stance. You roll your eyes.

"Calm down, Brine, I don't intend to fight here, especially in my dorm. I'd have to clean up and, well I just really don't want to."

You pass Dylan, keeping your eyes on him and keeping yourself light. Dylan keeps his guard up and makes sure his entire body is facing you. You sit on your bed, letting one arm drop while the other rests on your knee.

"So, as you may have noticed, you're very interesting weapons have been taken away from you. And," you wave your finger at him. "Don't think of looking for them, cause you'll never find them."

"What do you want from me?" Dylan growls, his eyes still burning with fire.

You shake your head.

"Always assuming, how rude," you smile. "Look, you're not in a condition to fight and you know it. So, you might as well relax. If you make too much of a scene then other students will realize you're here. Don't tell anyone, but I snuck you in," you whisper the last part.

"Why? How did you even get me here?" He questions, still hostile.

"Well, after I dragged you out of the burning Bullhead I brought you to Beacon. It's better than handing you over to the police." Dylan cringes at the mention of the authorities. "And you can help me out."

"With what?"

"The White Fang have been causing a lot of trouble, from what I've heard – robbing Dust shops, an attack on the docks. It's not something admirable. Perhaps you, being the infamous 'Son of the Waves', can help me find them."

"Ha! You think you can make me go against my brothers!" Dylan passionately shouts. "Especially after you murdered some of them."

"Hey, you attacked me first, remember," you bring up, slightly insulted.

"You provoked."

"You acted!"

You both stare intently at each other, neither one of you wanting to give in to the other. But, you give in quite quickly, looking away and shrugging.

"Well, whatever. It's not like you can leave anyway. No more Bullheads out back to Vale, AND there are professors watching out for students, so, well, even if you manage to get past me you won't be going anywhere tonight."

Dylan's body tenses – his teeth grinding and his fists clenched – but he can't deny logic. He has no chance to win against anyone without his weapons. Thus, the only logical thing to do is hold out here until the morning.

He relaxes his body and sighs.

"Very well, Slater," he says in defeat.

You smirk.

"Alright, I don't have to clean my room!" You cheer, yet Dylan doesn't seem amused. "Well, you can take my bed I suppose. I would be terribly rude if I didn't give the best accommodations to my guest," you bow at the last word.

"Don't patronize me, Slater," he barks.

You shrug.

"Fine, whatever. It's (Y/N), by the way," you bring up as you walk towards the corner wall.

Dylan reluctantly lies in your bed, squirming around since he's utterly uncomfortable.

"Bleh, it smells like you."

"Well, yeah, it's where I sleep," you remark.

"Shut up. I was simply speaking aloud."

You sit in the corner and lie up against the wall.

"Jeez, I've had to do this twice in a row now." You quietly complain.

"Serves you right," Dylan proudly mumbles.

"Hey!"

He can't help but snicker at that. You roll your eyes, then look down at your belt. You click a button near where the sword attaches.

 _Now, just in case, he won't be able to use my sword against me._

You glance over at Dylan one last time. He seems to have gotten moderately comfortable, and he isn't staring at you with malicious intent, so that's a good thing. You decide you can rest easy for now, and you'll deal with him in the morning.

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 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

The light yet firm knock snaps you out of your sleep. You rub your head and look over to the bed. Dylan seems to be sleeping moderately peacefully. Suddenly the thought of someone seeing your uninvited guest makes you scared. You frantically run towards your bed and, once you get there, you pull the blankets over Dylan's head to hide him. Luckily he doesn't seem to notice, and continues to sleep. You then rush over to the door, take a deep breath to calm yourself, then pleasantly open the door with a smile on your face.

To your surprise, it's Professor Ozpin. He has a coffee and his cane, like always.

"Greetings, (Y/N). Did you sleep well?"

You nod, stretching a bit as you yawn.

"Yeah, the bed isn't too bad."

"Mm, well I'm glad. My apologies for waking you on a weekend, but I had something to discuss."

"Is it about the whole… you know… 'dad' thing?" You mumble.

Ozpin shakes his head.

"No, no, that's all done with now. Of course I don't intend to call you 'son', unless you want me to," he smirks.

"Uh, no, it's fine. I guess I should be up anyway," you nervously chuckle, rubbing the back of your head. "But, yeah, if you need to talk then lets go walk around."

Ozpin lightly chuckles.

"Your enthusiasm is to be admired, but it's not you that I wish to speak with."

You tense up and your face instantly changes to panic. Ozpin drifts his eyes over to the bed.

"He is there, is he not?"

"How did you…"

Ozpin chuckles once more.

"You think I don't know what goes on in my own school?"

Ozpin walks into your room and approaches your bed. He moves the blanket with his cane, revealing a now awake Dylan Brine. He stares at Ozpin, seemingly conflicted of how to react.

"Mr. Brine, I would like to speak to you in my office, please."

"Do I have a choice?" He snarls.

"You always have a choice. I simply recommend pursuing this option."

Dylan takes little time to weigh his options.

"Very well, I'll accompany you."

Dylan leaves your bed and follows Ozpin out of the room. Ozpin nods as he leaves you alone, and Dylan closes the door behind you. You stand there, confused on why Ozpin needs to speak with Dylan.

"What am I supposed to do?" You shout, throwing your arms in the air. You sigh, then walk towards the bathroom. "Screw it, I'm going to shower."

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Dylan and Ozpin finally reach his office. Dylan's keeping his eyes on Ozpin, weary of what the mysterious headmaster. Then again, he's always weary with any human.

"Please, take a seat," Ozpin offers, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. Dylan hesitantly takes a seat and sits attentively. Ozpin sits in his own chair and takes a drink of his coffee, staring at Dylan. He sets his coffee down and intertwines his hands.

"So, Dylan Brine. You're known as the 'Son of the Waves' are you not?"

"Yes," he blandly states.

"And you're still in the White Fang? Even after your-"

"Look, what do you want with me? It's obvious you're not going to let me go, so are you here to interrogate me? Torture me? Make me spill all my secrets."

"Torture?" Ozpin snickers. "No, no torture. Though I'm sure that wouldn't work on you anymore, hm?"

Dylan crosses his arms and turns away.

"Mr. Brine, you're a bright boy and very skilled. Your use of dust and weapons is exceptional. So exceptional I would like to invite you to my school."

Dylan turns towards Ozpin, admittedly surprised at his offer. Dylan chuckles.

"Me? You want me, a member of the White Fang, to join your school?" He repeats, almost mocking the idea.

Ozpin, however, remains as serious as ever. He softly nods.

"Yes, I do. If you agree, I'll return your weapons to you."

"Slater gave you the weapons?"

"No, but again, there's very little that gets by me in this school. Just like how I know (Y/N) saved your life after your Bullhead crashed, then, while injured, carried your body up the rock face. Curious, is it not. He could have just left you to die," Ozpin describes, a certain pride in his voice.

"You expect me to owe him?"

"I expect you to give him a chance. (Y/N) wouldn't bring you back here unless he saw something in you."

"Ha, Slater… he's not one who's to think that far ahead."

Ozpin raises his brow at this statement.

"You speak as though you've heard of him before."

Dylan devilishly smirks. Ozpin can tell his entire persona has just flipped in an instant.

"Because there's someone who knows him. Someone who knows you. He's told all of us what we need to know about Slater."

"Hm… I see. Well, perhaps that's also something we can discuss at another time."

"You won't get anything out of me. I won't betray the White Fang!" Dylan proudly states.

"I thought as much. Still, my offer stands and I suggest you take it. Perhaps we'll both learn a thing or two."

"What could you possibly teach me?"

Ozpin takes a drink of his coffee then smiles.

"It depends on what you wish to learn. However, I have one question to ask you." Dylan raises his brow. Ozpin leans a tad bit closer. "Who told you, and the rest of the White Fang, about (Y/N)?"

Dylan smirks.

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 **30 Minutes Later**

Dylan approaches your dorm with his own scroll. He looks down at it, then flashes it in front of the sensor. It lights up, and he hears a click. Dylan shakes his head as he opens the door.

"Why did I agree to this?" He rants.

Dylan opens the door and is instantly surprised. There are now two beds with the bookcase in-between them. There's a uniform laid out on one of the beds, which Dylan assumes to be his, and his weapons are neatly placed beside them. Dylan approaches the bed and grabs his weapons, quickly putting them on.

" _Your weapons will be returned to you, but know that you're surrounded by Huntsmen and Huntresses. No matter how strong you believe yourself to be, you will not defeat the entire school."_

Ozpin's words echo in Dylan's ear, and they have merit. You already proved that you can combat Dylan on your own, and he knows there's absolutely no way he can win against an entire school. His only option is to wait this out, then, when the opportunity presents itself, he'll escape with intel on Beacon. Perhaps it will help the White Fang in some way.

Since it's the weekend, however, there are no classes which means Dylan has nothing to do. He was warned that he cannot leave the school grounds, so he has nothing to do. He was told of a library on campus. That seems like the best place to go.

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It's thankfully a beautiful day outside, and one where you can finally kick back and relax. No more wearing that damndable uniform, no more worrying about essays, no more worrying about Ms. Goodwitch hitting you with her forsaken riding crop. No more of that, it's just you and you alone.

You're laying under a tree, arms behind your head, and legs lazily set up. You take a deep breath and exhale, enjoying the time. But, for some reason, you feel like something's off. Everything else seems right, but this one thing… it's like someone is around you, or watching you. You open one eye then look to the right. There are a few students talking on a bench, but they aren't looking at you. You lazily flop your head to the right to see Ruby's eyes.

"GAH!" You scream, your body jolting from fear.

Ruby starts busting a gut laughing, and it's not a quiet laugh either. She's enjoying this far too much as she rolls from side to side, holding her stomach and kicking her feet.

"Why would you do that?" You complain, returning to your original position.

"Because… Because it was really funny," Ruby laughs.

You shake your head and adopt your own smile.

"Well I'm glad you're amused. So, why're you here?"

"Well," Ruby exhales, calming down with the odd giggle here and there. "I wanted to see how my teammate was doing."

You turn your head towards her, so you're facing each other.

"Right, we're teammates. But what about your other ones?"

"I don't know where Blake is. Weiss was doing… something. I really don't know what, and Yang is still sleeping."

"Still?" You question.

Ruby nods.

"Yeah, she's a heavy sleeper."

You shrug.

"Makes sense. So, what have you got planned for this beautiful Saturday… day?"

Ruby giggles a bit.

"Nothing comes to mind. I wanted to go to Vale with Weiss and pick up this board game, but she was too busy. The only thing I got out of her was that she was 'planning something important'" Ruby says with air quotes. "So I don't really know what that is."

"Well, I cordially invite you to lay with me," you joke.

Ruby smiles.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer. It's not like I was doing that for the past couple minutes."

"Hey, don't use my sarcasm against me," you say, nudging her.

"'A Huntress must know their opponent through and through to use their strengths against them'," Ruby recites.

"Port's words, right. Way to use that lesson against a fellow huntsman!"

Ruby cutely smiles and shrugs. You shake your head and stare up at the sky.

"Hey… Little Red?"

"Mm?"

You turn back at her, and she's still staring at you. She's almost locked herself into a position where she has to look at you. You can't formulate words at first, and it shows. Your frantic eye movement, and you opening your mouth only to close it again. Ruby raises her brow, but keeps her face innocent.

"What is it?" She presses.

"I… I want to thank you for last night – for checking up on me. I, uh… I appreciate that."

Ruby begins to blush.

"I, uh, no, it's not, don't even worry about it," Ruby mumbles, not able to create an actual sentence.

"No… Ruby," you say her name which surprises her. Your face is dead serious. "I mean it."

Ruby's face goes a whole new level of red, but you don't really notice it. Finally you break eye contact and look up at the sky.

Ruby can't help but look at you, and in doing so her cheeks won't calm down. She can't comprehend the feeling you constantly bring up in her. She's never felt it before, and doesn't know how to respond to it. Why does she blush? Why does her heart beat a little faster? Why does she want to spend time with you? Why did, instead of finding Jaune to hang out with, she sat beside you. Why she does this, she has no idea. But, like most things she does, it's instinctive and she doesn't think about it.

"There you are!" A voice shouts.

Ruby snaps out of her trance and you both look at the source of the voice. Weiss is walking towards you two in a different outfit than you've seen her in before. It seems like a mix of a dress and a coat, with high boots.

"Well aren't you just a SnowPea, huh?" You chuckle.

"What?"

You shrug.

"Nothing. Anyway, I guess you're looking for Ruby," you say as you stand up. "So I'll jus-"

"Actually, no. I was looking for you."

You recoil a bit in surprise. You cock your head to the side and point your finger at yourself.

"Yes, dunce. Don't you remember what I said yesterday?"

"You say a lot of things, Weiss. You can't expect me to remember them all."

Ruby quickly jolts to her feet and remains by your side, looking back and forth between you two.

"You said I don't know how to have fun!" Ruby giggles at this. "Quiet you! Anyway, I have planned an exceptionally entertaining day to prove that I know how to have fun!"

"How did you get Weiss all fired up?" Ruby whispers, leaning towards you.

"I insulted her," you whisper back.

"Oooooh," she nods, understanding.

"Alright, Weiss. I'll let you 'dazzle' me. Are we going now?"

"That would be preferable," she responds.

"Alright, lets go, I guess."

You and Weiss begin walking away, leaving Ruby on her own. She stutters a bit, then raises her hand up.

"Can I come?" She shouts.

You stop and turn your upper body towards her.

"Nah, this'll just be Weiss and I. We'll hang out another time, just us two. Sound good?"

Ruby pouts in disappointment but then smiles.

"Okay!"

"See ya, Little Red!"

You wave to her, wink, then continue to walk with Weiss. Ruby retracts her hand back to her and holds it. Her cheeks are heating up again.

"Well isn't that cute," a voice snickers.

Ruby looks to her side and sees Coco and Velvet.

"W-What?"

"Ruby, look at your face. You're so red," Velvet giggles.

"S-So?"

The two stop in front of Ruby, blocking her view of you and Weiss. Coco lowers her glasses, sizing Ruby up.

"I suppose she wouldn't know, given how young she is."

"What?"

"That's true. Should we tell her?" Velvet asks.

"Whaat?"

"No, it's best not to force things. Let her figure it out for herself."

"WHAT?" Ruby shrieks, the anticipation killing her.

Coco chuckles.

"Oh, nothing. Come on Velvet, we have to catch up with the boys."

"Alright. Bye Ruby! Good luck!" Velvet says, waving as the two leave.

"Good luck with what!?"

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Dylan shimmies his way into the library. Not many people notice him, apart from the one or two students who look up at anyone who walks into the building. Lucky for him the only person who knows of his White Fang past is you. Well, the only student. So he should blend right in as a student and have no trouble whatsoever. However, someone noticed him walk into the library and has their eyes on him.

Dylan casually walks through the library with his hands in his pockets, taking in all that he can. He's always had a weakness to knowledge. He likes to know all he can, and this library could probably add a few things to his memory banks. Dylan slips into one of the hallways and starts scanning all the books. But something's nagging him. It's a feeling that's pushing its way to the surface of his brain. He stops walking, standing absolutely still. He slowly turns his head so he can look down the hallway. Nothing.

"Hm…"

Dylan turns right around and starts walking back through the hallway, leading to the exit. He leaves the library and heads to the right. The moment he passes the corner he leans back, evading a hand. But the hands almost evaporates, and he's grabbed from the other side. He's pushed behind the corner and slammed into the wall. He can feel a forearm pressed against his neck, and his wrists gripped by a single hand. He cringes a bit, then looks his attacker in the eyes.

"Ah… Blake Belladonna. I suppose there are two students who know the real me," he confidently says, smirking.

Blake applies more pressure to his throat.

"You… you deceived me. You're White Fang."

"As you are. Or, were. Perhaps Adam would allow you back."

"Shut up. We're going to talk about you, and not me," Blake hisses, her entire persona deadly serious.

"I suppose I should have expected this. You and your friends have been interrupting our activity for some time. Especially you, Blake, and that annoyance Slater. Why? Why have you turned on the ones who've taken care of you?" He politely asks in a sinister tone.

"What are you doing here? How did you slip past everyone?" Blake questions, ignoring everything he just said.

"I'm a student here now, actually. So I'd let go before I tell a teacher on you."

Blake pushes against Dylan's throat even more, making him cough.

"No way you're part of this school."

"Ask your headmaster and Slater," he coughs. "Slater brought me here, and Ozpin invited me. I suppose I'm just like you now, huh? Just more loyal."

Blake knees him in the stomach, forcing him to shut up.

"What are the White Fang up to? Why are they working with a human? Why steal dust?"

"Dreadfully sorry, but I'm not supposed to reveal plans to ex-members. Perhaps you should renew your membership," Dylan sarcastically answers.

Blake shakes her head and lets Dylan go.

"I've heard of you before, but now I have a face. Dylan Brine, brother of Aza Brine. If I remember correctly, you left the White Fang once too."

"It was a foolish mistake. All humans must be eradicated in the name of justice," Dylan snarls.

Blake sighs.

"You've been listening to _him_ too much. But maybe one day you'll realize that there's a difference between justice and… what they do," Blake softly tells him.

"Hmph, I know what we do, and I know what humans do. They deserve everything that's coming to them."

"Perhaps. But the same could be said for the White Fang."

With that last sentence, Blake leaves Dylan to his thoughts. Dylan keeps his eyes on Blake. He's disgusted that she's hiding her ears under that bow. Granted, Dylan's aren't all that visible but that's simply because of his shaggy hair. He's not ashamed of who he is, and he knows that he's right. The White Fang are right.

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"You didn't go back for him!" A woman shouts, menacingly approaching Roman.

Roman nervously chuckles as he backs away from one of the two most terrifying women he knows.

She's just under Roman's height with a slender body. She has brown hair that parts from the center of her head and goes back, covering the upper half of her ears, and does not go past her neck. Her plump lips and petit nose compliment her pale skin, which is home to a single, small mole that sits under the left side of her mouth. She has a black tank top of that does little more than prevent cleavage, as it's covered by a red jacket. It seems to have small bits of armour under the fabric at her shoulders, but in no other spots. The collar of the jacket is very prominent, and covers her entire neck, minus the front, though there is a blue band that wraps around her neck. The under layer of the sleeves are blue, contrasting the red, and stop to a point at the wrist. She finishes with red, skin tight leggings that are layered with kunai on both the inner and outer thigh.

Her fierce blue eyes remain fixed on Roman as she approaches him.

"Well how is it my fault that he was captured? I'm no pet-sitter."

"What did you just call my brother?" She snarls, opening her palm and summoning a flame.

"Aza!" Cinder calls.

Aza stops in her tracks and retracts the flame. Both she and Roman look at Cinder, who's walking her trademark walk towards them.

"You can't judge Roman on what he says, but what he does, and he's done much for us, haven't you, Roman?"

"Thank you," Roman smiles, rubbing it in Aza's face.

"Now Aza, shouldn't you be meeting Neo?"

"Yes, I was about to until I heard Dylan was captured by a Huntsman. That… **Slater** child, no less," she says with disgust.

"We'll get him back, in time. For now, Aza, you'll have to take over Dylan's previous operation."

Aza bows her head.

"Of course. But afterward, I intend to reclaim my brother, and kill Slater."

Cinder nods.

"We will need him. But focus on the task at hand. You'll get your chance to get your brother in time. As for Slater, well, you'll have to fight someone else for that chance," Cinder warns, smiling mischievously at the thought of her ally.

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Ozpin watches as the next airship leaves the docking area. He knows you and Weiss are on it, and that's why he's a bit worried. From what he gathered from his conversation with Dylan, someone is after you. Not the school, Team RWBY, or whatever plot is going on behind the scenes, but you specifically. Ozpin has a few ideas of who that could be, but…

"Professor Ozpin, I have some things to go over with you about the _second_ mid-semester student you've enrolled," Glynda speaks as she approaches the headmaster. "This Dylan Brine fellow. You roomed him with (Y/N) and placed him in nearly all the same courses. Now, I understand that most courses are already filled but…"

Glynda looks at Ozpin and can tell there's a certain uneasiness in his face. She lowers her scroll and moves diagonally in front of him.

"Ozpin, what's wrong?"

"I… have reason to believe (Y/N) is in danger."

"Well, as Huntsmen we all are in danger. But since you're saying this it must mean he's in a special kind of danger."

Ozpin takes a drink of his coffee.

"You are correct. I'm… nervous as to who this individual might be. They've taken a special interest in (Y/N), and that might lead them to Beacon."

"Well, I'm sure if someone attacked Beacon we have more than enough manpower to defend ourselves. Unless," Glynda gasps. "Are you talking about-"

"Yes. It's a theory that I hope is wrong, but it might be. Glynda, take extra precautions with (Y/N). I don't know when, but I think someone might come for him."

Glynda nods.

"Of course. Perhaps getting Qrow to investigate this on the side would be beneficial?"

Ozpin smirks.

"I was just thinking that myself."

With that Glynda turns to leave. She really hopes it's a small threat, or perhaps Ozpin is being paranoid. The later assumption is highly unlikely, however, as he's never concerned without reason. Reminds her of two other people, one of which she once knew.

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 _It's been a few months since Glynda and Jet started dating. It's been hard at points, but not because of incompatibility. Between school, missions, and world events, it's been difficult for many to keep their heads on straight. Yet somehow Jet's always smiling, always making a joke, and always making sure she's okay. It's something Glynda oddly loves. She loves that someone's always asking if she's okay, and asking her opinion on everything. It's nice to have someone to rely on._

 _Flipping that around, Glynda has to take care of Jet just as much, especially when it comes to school work and missions. Somehow Jet made sure that they're on missions together, despite being on different teams. She, Jet, and Harrier are a true force to be reckoned with, even if the brothers can get cocky at times. But, the three have grown closer, especially Glynda and Jet._

 _At the moment everyone is in the cafeteria. Glynda and Jet's teams are sitting together, talking and laughing._

" _So then Glynda lifts the Ursa way into the air setting it up perfectly for Harrier," Jet explains, standing up and being the focus of the table, and even surrounding tables. "So she's holding it and Harrier jumps up to take it down. But, having just finished off the King Taijitu, I thought I might as well give them a hand, you know? It was the last Ursa of about… what was it guys?"_

" _Three dozen," Harrier proudly answers, crossing his arms and lifting his head._

" _Well, maybe a little less, but around there," Glynda rectifies, looking back at Jet who's beside her._

" _Yeah, yeah," Jet waves them off, wanting to continue with his story. "So, anyway, Harrier leaps into the air to deliver the final blow, and I decide to steal the thunder."_

" _As you tend to do," Harrier adds._

 _Jet looks away and chuckles, then returns to tell the story._

" _So I jump in between Harrier and the Ursa, quickly pull out my best buddy Crimson Blaze," he explains as he pantomimes the event. "And slice the Ursa in two."_

" _So what about Harrier?" Glynda's teammate inquires, captivated in the story._

" _Oh, this is the best part."_

" _Yes, the very best part," Harrier remarks, standing up and sliding beside his brother. "As my dear brother cuts down the beast, I'm already in mid swing. I slice his back, causing his to cry out in pain!"_

" _Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, there was no crying from me," Jet defends as the table laughs._

" _I don't know. I think I saw a tear," Glynda giggles._

" _Glynda! Why?" Jet shouts, feeling betrayed._

 _Glynda sassily shrugs, smirking._

" _Wait, so how are you okay?" Another of Glynda's teammates ask, a little worried._

 _Jet waves them off._

" _Please, you know how many times I've been hurt. I mean," Jet pulls out Crimson Blaze and shoves it into his gut, cringing at the pain as blood seeps out of the whole._

 _Everyone around him, aside from Harrier and Glynda, freak out, yelling at Jet. Jet, however, is completely calm._

" _See… I just," he pulls out the blade and sheaths it. The hole in his stomach begins healing rather quickly. "Heal. Only problem is there's a hole in my uniform now."_

" _You take too many risks with that, Jet. You can only take so much, you know," Harrier advises._

" _Oh, don't fret," he says, slapping his hand down on Harrier's shoulder. "I know my limits. Besides, Glynda would be quite mad if I overexerted myself."_

" _He's not wrong," she agrees._

" _Anyway, anyway, so Harrier hurt me and my feelings got hurt."_

" _Oh bite me," Harrier chuckles._

 _The entire table chuckles. Jet sighs with happiness, then sits back down beside Glynda. He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her closer, causing her to giggle. Harrier sits on the other side of Glynda and shakes his head at Jet's actions. Glynda places her hand on Jet's stomach. Bold of her, yes, but she's gotten a lot more intimate since she started dating Jet. Things like touching and kissing in private doesn't bother her as much._

 _Jet leans on Glynda's shoulder and moves his mouth to her ear._

" _Hey, you wanna go for a walk," he whispers._

 _Glynda rests her head on his._

" _Alright you big baby," she whispers back._

 _The two of them stand up._

" _So, my friends, I will see you all later," Jet bows before walking away with Glynda._

 _The moment Glynda and Jet leave the cafeteria he slips his hand around Glynda's. She blushes, but is ecstatic._

" _You just wanted to do that, didn't you?" Glynda teases._

 _Jet twirls her around then pulls her close, so their bodies are pressing against each other. She can feel his cool breath glaze along her face. She smiles at him, looking at his gleaming eyes._

" _Maybe," he huffs. "But can you blame me? I want all this beautiful to myself."_

 _Glynda rolls her eyes._

" _Flatterer."_

 _Jet slowly leans into Glynda, delivering a slow kiss at first. Glynda wants to push him away, since they are in public, but she can't find the strength to. He breaks off as slowly and softly as he began, leaving Glynda wanting more._

" _Glynda, you know the dance is coming up, right?"_

 _Mhm," Glynda nods, enjoying the moment._

" _Are you gonna go to it?"_

" _Not sure. Waiting for my boyfriend to make up his mind," she giggles, still holding him close._

" _Huh… well he better come up with some extravagant way to ask you."_

" _I'm sure he will. He hasn't disappointed me yet," she says as she rest her head on his chest._

" _Jet, I… I…"_

" _Shh, let's just stay silent for now. The other students might notice us if we're too loud."_

 _Glynda closes her eyes and enjoys the company of someone she… very much cares for._

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You and Weiss walk away from the Vale docking area to start the day that Weiss has dragged you into. She's on her scroll, not paying too much attention to what's in front of her. You're beside her, hands in your pockets, watching out for her so she doesn't hit a pole.

"So, first off-"

"Wait… do you have an itinerary?" You laugh.

Weiss looks up from her scroll.

"I… No!"

You burst out laughing at Weiss' expense.

"Well, whatever. I have one place I want to stop by, first," you voice, looking straight ahead again.

"Where?"

"I need to grab a book," you smirk and lead Weiss through the street.

Weiss looks down at her scroll and thinks.

"Well… we can't take too long!" Weiss shouts, catching up with you.

"Forget the itinerary!"

"It's not an itinerary! It's a reference schedule."

"So… an itinerary," you chuckle.

"S-Shut up."

Weiss' cheeks are puffed and she's getting red, but that only makes it all the more funny for you. But, you'll give her a break. She seems to have taken the time to plan something for the two of you, and you'll respect that. But what you have in mind is far more important than just hanging out in Vale. So, you and Weiss keep walking. You notice a few people eying the two of you. You assume they're probably just looking at her for both her beauty and the fact that she's a Schnee. There's not all that many of them, and since they are such an important company it seems fitting for people to respect that family. Then again, from what you've heard, they haven't made the most respectable choice. But you don't have enough information about that. You'd have to ask Weiss, and, well, you don't think it would end very well.

Weiss huffs, which gets your attention.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just… the looks are getting a little annoying."

"Heh, I was just thinking about that. Are you not used to it?"

Weiss shrugs.

"I am, but it's like getting used to a stinging arm. You might get used to it, but that doesn't mean it's not there."

"Hm, yeah, I guess that makes sense. Hey, you think they assume we're dating?" You smirk, leaning closer to her.

Her face instantly goes red as she pushes you away.

"Ah! No! You dunce! Don't even think that!" She yells.

You burst out laughing.

"I never said I thought it. I was talking about them. But do you think it too?"

Weiss crosses her arms, rolls her eyes, and looks away from you.

"Awww, are you giving me the cold shoulder?"

Weiss ignores you. You simply pout.

"Hm… that's Weiss cold."

"Bleh, you're as bad as Yang," Weiss gags.

"Hey! I'm not THAT bad," you defend.

"Yeah, you are," Weiss lightly chuckles.

"Hey! That's a laugh! I'll take it!"

"Sure, take this victory then. It's all yours," Weiss sarcastically remarks.

You bow your head towards her.

"I will take this with pride, fair maiden."

Weiss chuckles once again and shakes her head.

"I swear, I don't know how you're a Huntsman."

"My dashing good looks and extravagant skill?" You offer.

"Well, you got skill right," she coyly smirks.

"Oh. Oh. Ooooh, Weiss. You got me there," you laugh.

You continue to go back and forth with each other, making both of you laugh, until you reach your destination.

"Tuckson's Book Trade?" Weiss reads, staring up at the sign.

You nod.

"Yeah. Come on."

You and Weiss enter the building, signaled by the bell that rings. You both see Tuckson standing behind the desk, leaning on it with his head in his hands. He slightly looks up at the incoming customer, and as soon as he realizes it's you his face lights up.

"Y-You're alive! Wait..." He then notices Weiss, and recognizes her instantly.

"Tuckson, you owe me a book and an explanation," you confidently say, marching towards him.

"Um… Well, can we talk in the back?"

"I was about to suggest it. Come on, Weiss."

The three of you walk to the back of the store, but Weiss is extremely confused on what's happening. She noticed Tuckson become a little stiff when she was around, so he must know her. But it was a different stiff from other guys. This was like fear. However, you seem to be completely calm so, for the moment, she'll follow your lead. She's become far more interested in this little detour than she was before.

Tuckson leads you both to the backroom. He closes the door behind him, turns to you, and sighs.

"So you defeated him?"

"More or less," you answer, avoiding the fact you brought him to Beacon. "But you're what we're going to talk about. You're part of the White Fang?"

Weiss reacts to this, taking a slightly more aggressive stance, but not attacking. Tuckson remains calm at Weiss' action.

"Yes, I thought Weiss Schnee would become hostile around me, a White Fang. But… it's not all black and white. Allow me to explain," he pleads.

You place your hand on Weiss' shoulder, making her look at you. You have a soft face that tells her to calm down. She diverts her eyes for a moment then returns to looking at you. She nods, relaxing.

"Go ahead, Tuckson."

"First, I want to clear something up. I… I am a Faunus myself. I was worried what you would think if I said I was."

"Why?"

"Because they know about you, (Y/N) Slater. Everyone in the White Fang knows of the infamous Slater child."

This makes both you and Weiss raise your brows.

"Why? Who's talking about me behind my back? Did they say I can't dance, because I sure can!"

"I…uh…" Tuckson isn't sure how to respond to that.

Weiss rolls her eyes at you, then delivers a heavy punch to your shoulder.

"Ow, hey!"

"What was said about (Y/N)?" Weiss questions.

"I… didn't hear much. I haven't been in the White Fang for a very long time. We're given a picture and told to avoid you at all cost."

"A picture? Did they get my good side?"

This time Weiss hops up and punches your head, forming a lump. You rub it, on the verge of tears.

"Ooow," you cry.

"Get serious about this!" Weiss snarls.

You rub the bump one more time then sigh.

"Fine, take away my fun. Anyway, that's something I'll have to… look into." You pause, thinking of Dylan. "Anyway, continue on, Tuckson."

"Well, I… I don't believe in what the White Fang do. You possibly remember when I talked about my son? I lied, in a sense. He wasn't a regular activist. He was part of the White Fang. I begged him to reconsider, but he refused to hear anything. With all hopes of pulling him out to be lost, I thought 'If I join him I might be able to show him why they're wrong.' Well… it didn't work. He died not too long ago while piloting a Bullhead when they tried to steal Schnee Dust Company crates from the docks. Something took down his Bullhead and he didn't survive."

The room get eerily quiet as a mourning for his son. Weiss thinks she knows when that was, but doesn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, Tuckson. But… why stay with the White Fang?"

"They don't offer many ways out," he chuckles, though he isn't making a joke in the slightest. "I just had to think of a way to leave, but at the same time I didn't want to help them in any way. That's why he came here. I… I don't know how much longer they'll hold off on possibly… killing me."

You and Weiss share a look. An idea comes to mind, but you need Weiss' house. You lightly grab her hand, to her surprise.

"I need to talk to Weiss. Wait here a moment."

You pull Weiss out of the room and to the shop.

"What're you doing?" Weiss complains.

"Weiss, you must have connections or something. Do you think you could get him out of here? A ticket to another kingdom or something?"

"What? Why would I do that?" She retorts.

Your face drops.

"Weiss, he isn't a regular White Fang. He doesn't want this, and they will kill him. You can save his life!"

"How do you know he's telling the truth? He could be lying, trying to get you comfortable around you before striking," she brings up.

You cross your arms and shake your head.

"Just trust me, Weiss. I don't think he's like that, and if I'm wrong then I'll take responsibility to fix it."

Weiss still has doubt in her mind, and it's evident on her face. She looks away from you, contemplating what to do.

"Weiss, come on! If you're wrong then an innocent man could die!" You add.

Weiss' breathing becomes heavy from frustration.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do," she huffs, not happy with her own response.

But then you do something that surprises her. You wrap your arms around her, embracing her.

"Thanks Weiss. I owe you one."

You don't see Weiss' blush, or frustration. She lightly pushes you away, and you let go.

"Yeah, you're right. You do owe me one. And… never do that again," she weakly demands, fixing her clothes.

"Ah come on, I'm not a bad hugger. Besides, you're all red anyway. Perhaps you enjoyed it?" You ask with a coy smile.

"I don't help with this, you know?" She shouts.

You raise your hands to surrender, taking a step back.

"Alright, alright. My apologies."

You and Weiss enter the backroom where Tuckson is patiently – if a tad nervously – waiting for you. You come in with a huge smile, which relieves him a bit.

"So, my generous friend here is going to get you a way out of here."

Tuckson's eyes widen, then he looks to Weiss.

"I'll make a call, and someone should be by with a ticket somewhere. I can't say where right now, but you'll be leaving Vale," Weiss explains.

"I… I have no words. Thank you! Thank you both!" He happily says, his gaze switching between the two of you.

"Just get ready to leave, huh? I don't imagine you want to stick around for too long," you advise.

Tuckson nods.

"Of course. Again, thank you! Thank you, Ms. Schnee. I knew your family wasn't as bad as they say."

Weiss crosses her arms and leans on one hip.

"Not all of us," she faintly whispers.

"Well, we'll give you time. Goodbye, Tuckson. I'll visit again before you go," you explain as you walk over a shelf which has most of the new books stacked. You grab the first one that captures your eye. "And I'll take this one."

"Of course. I'll see you then, (Y/N)," he smiles.

You nod back, then you and Weiss take your leave. You exit the store and stand in front of it for a moment.

"Doesn't it feel good, doing a good deed?" You smirk.

"Yeah, maybe. I'll have to see how this plays out. I… admire your determination to help him, though," Weiss reluctantly admits.

"You're gonna make me blush," you chuckle.

Weiss rolls her eyes.

"You can never be serious, can you?"

You shrug.

"Depends on the day, I guess. Anyway, you had a plan for tonight, right? Your 'not-itinerary-but-its-totally-an-itinerary'," you say in air quotes.

Weiss devilishly stares at you, getting real sick of all your jokes. You burst out laughing.

"I absolutely love spending time with you, Weiss. You never fail to make me laugh."

"I never intend to," she flatly states, still mad.

You pat her cheek, to which she instantly pushes away your hand.

"And that's what makes it funny. Come on, I'm waiting to be dazzled."

Weiss' persona changes instantly, becoming far happier as she pulls out her scroll.

"Alright! First, I booked tickets to see some performances!"

"P… Performances? What's being performed?"

"You'll see. If it entertains me then I know you'll be dazzled by it."

"I somehow doubt that," you faintly mutter. "Alright!" You say, at a tone Weiss can hear. "I'll follow your lead."

Weiss strolls down the street while doing something on her scroll. You're not one to spy, so you just keep an eye out to the world – make sure nothing really happens. You don't have Crimson Blaze at the moment so you're at a disadvantage. Weiss, however, has her weapon, so you're not completely defenseless. Whether she could parry an incoming attack while on her scroll or not is a different story.

Moments later she closes her scroll and puts it in her pocket.

"Alright, a limo will meet us up ahead."

"A limo? Why?" You inquire.

"Would you prefer to walk?" Weiss offers, already knowing the answer.

You pout and cross your arms.

"Limo it is."

Weiss smiles in victory as she struts her way through the street. You continue to follow her until you notice a limo parked at the end of the street. You throw your hands behind your head and start lazily walking. Weiss notices this and shakes her head. She's almost embarrassed to be seen with you in public. She can't get to the limo quick enough. Once you both get there you, to Weiss' surprise, open the door for her.

"What a gentleman," she remarks.

"It was beaten into my head in Atlas. Don't let anyone know," you wink, following her into the back. You close the door and take a seat opposite to Weiss. You start to admire the interior as you feel the limo begin to move. Its seats are extremely comfortable, and there's a TV under the window to the driver. A small fridge for drinks, cup holders, a small table in the middle – it's a true limousine.

Weiss crosses her legs and sits regally.

"I hope you're happy with the accommodations. You can have any drinks you wish. There isn't any alcohol, so don't get any ideas," she lectures.

You wave her off as you skirt over to the fridge and grab a drink. You salute Weiss before opening the drink and taking a swig. You wipe your mouth and let out a single cough.

"So, what kind of show are we going to exactly?" You inquire. "I know it's some sort of singing, but…"

"You'll see when we get there. I suppose I set this up selfishly, as I intended to go to this anyway," Weiss admits.

"Hm… Well, I'm interested in seeing what Weiss Schnee is so interested in seeing? Is it really hard core?" You joke.

"No, you dunce. Just… you'll see."

You shrug and lean back in the chair, basking in the comfort. Being in such a bliss, you don't realize that you're already there. The door opens up, revealing what you assume to be the driver. Weiss walks out first, thanking the driver with a head bow. You exit and pat him on the shoulder, which he seems a bit uncomfortable about. You look at the building ahead of you which spears to be some sort of opera house.

 _Oh god… Please no fire…_

"This is the newest opera house in Vale, which replaced the old one that was unfortunately burned down in an accident," Weiss explains, though she seems a little sarcastic about how it was destroyed.

"Yeah… super unfortunate," you agree, shifting the blame off you.

Weiss rolls her head towards you with a doubtful face.

"What?" You proclaim, throwing your hands in the air.

"A very. Unfortunate. Accident," she slowly says, her eyes focused on you.

"You… are a scary person."

Weiss chuckles as she walks away.

"Just try not to do anything stupid here, huh?"

"I did nothing!" You cry.

You sigh in defeat then follow Weiss into the building. Unsurprisingly, you and Weiss pass through most of the lines and security rather quickly.

"Do you want snacks?" Weiss offers.

"Hm…" You moan, slowly walking by the snacks. "No, I'm good, thanks. I want to fully appreciate the performance," you smirk.

"If you're serious, then I'm proud. If you're not… be quiet."

You chuckle at Weiss' answer. You both get really nice seats, sitting in a booth to the right of the stage. It's just you and Weiss, along with two guards that are closer to the back. The room is very well lit, making most things white. You rub your eyes, adjusting to the light. Weiss notices this and snickers.

"If you think the light here is bad then you should try being on stage."

You raise your brow and turn to Weiss.

"How would you know?"

"I sing, well, sung, before Beacon. I haven't had the chance to since I started, but becoming a Huntress is far more important than singing. Still, I do somewhat miss it. The woman coming up used to by my competition, but I always managed to beat her," Weiss states with a hint of pride.

"Hm… I didn't know that. Think you can sing for-"

Weiss places her finger over her mouth.

"Shh, it's starting."

The lights dim around the area, completely focusing on the one woman standing on stage. She's regally standing in the center with a mic stand in front of her. Her luscious golden hair flows straight down, similar to what you imagine Weiss' would do if it wasn't done up. She clears her throat before the music begins. Just the beginning music is already enchanting, calming you to the very soul. You look over at Weiss, who is smiling at experience.

The woman begins singing with an extremely beautiful voice. You can't even believe it. The thought of Weiss being better than this girl is astonishing. The music combined with the singing dances around the air, swirling through your ears with such grace that you can't help but smile. You're not used to this kind of entertainment, but you're definitely enjoying it. The whole feel of the event has a certain feel that's enveloping you.

You once again look at Weiss, who looks like she's in complete bliss. She's smiling a beautiful smile, absolutely enjoying this. You can tell she misses this just by her reaction from hearing it. It's sweet, and shows a side of Weiss that you have yet to see – the pleasant side. But a song can only go on for so long. After a few beautiful minutes, she stops singing. You, along with everyone in the theater, stands up and begins clapping. Weiss is surprised at the amount of enthusiasm in your claps.

"You enjoyed it?" Weiss asks over the roar of clapping.

You nod.

"I did. Seriously, you used to do that?"

Weiss waves hand towards you.

"Yes, but it's not THAT great."

"Weiss, if you're better than her then that's astounding!"

Your compliment makes Weiss blush. It's been a long time since someone has personally complimented her singing ability.

"Is there more?" You follow up, almost bouncing.

"There is, calm down," she lightheartedly says. "Just… stop bouncing."

You look at yourself, realize that you now are indeed bouncing. You stop and rub the back of your head.

"Hehe, sorry."

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The whole performance lasted for about another hour of amazing singers that made your heart melt. You never once dreamed that you'd enjoy this as much as you had, but now you're happy Weiss brought you along. Now, everyone is filing out of the building like ants. The limo is waiting outside of the opera house, which you and Weiss immediately head for. To her surprise, you remain protective of her – making sure nobody got too close to her or made any odd advances. She felt genuinely safe, which is a nice feeling. Of course she could handle anyone who came at her, but not having to be constantly looking over her shoulder is relaxing.

You both enter the back of the limo, and you're still pretty happy.

"Man, Weiss, that was awesome! I got to hand it to you, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did."

"I'm glad that you were entertained, but you realize that was only the first thing on my itin- I mean my plan."

You raise your brow, smirking.

"What was that word you were going for? Itin… Itiner… Itinerary?"

"No!" She loudly defends. "Anyway, we have a lot more to get through. I hope you're ready."

"Well, the moment I refuse to spend time with a beautiful lady such as yourself is the moment I'm no longer me," you suavely say, winking.

Weiss rolls her eyes.

"Mhm, and is this other you less annoying?"

"Ah, Weiss… my heart… I don't think I can take it!" You dramatically cry, holding your chest in agony.

"I'm sure you'll live. Driver! Next location, please."

"Yes, ma'am," you hear from the front.

The limo starts moving, and your mind starts racing. What could Weiss possibly have planned next?

 **Shots have been fired. The S.S. Weiss is firing on the S.S. Ruby on Slater Waters. No, not actually. Well, maybe. Perhaps I'm just terrible at writing romance. I should stop now. There's no way Slater can even talk to other girls. That's it. Story's done. I give up here.**

 **No, I'm just kidding. I've been doing similar things since the beginning of the story. Anyhow, thank you all for reading! It's a longer chapter to compensate for the wait. It only took me so long because Pokeball Z (Dragon Ball Z Team Training) took my life for a time. Then again if you followed me on Twitter you already knew that. I'm getting off topic here, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and some of its cartoony, sarcastic, and serious parts. I find it hard to write the humour RWBY does sometimes because that's animated and this isn't. So when I try to do some humour like the show might do (say, Slater hiding Brine behind his back when Brine is clearly taller than Slater) might not translate over well in the realm of logic. But, whatever. I do my best. Also the action may or may not pick up in the coming chapters. I have some things to get to before Volume 2 (the food fight) comes around, and logically it should be sometime soon. So, I will see you all next time!**

 **FACT: I find it sometimes hard to write locations for Vale. For the longest time I thought the CCT tower was in Vale, but Volume 3 proved me wrong. That made the whole scene during Volume 2 where Weiss goes from the CCT to Vale's highways to fight Roman kind of odd. It's also a mystery that the only map of Vale we get shows that the residential district and commercial district link with Beacon, but we're shown that Beacon's on its own far from Vale. It can't be where the dorms are either, because those seem to be behind that whole docking area we're shown in Volume 1. At least, I think. It's confusing, and it makes it hard to accurately write about. Thus, I've kept to using airships and swimming as transportation between Vale. If someone knows the answer, I'd appreciate you letting me know so I can make more accurate transportation methods.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **Oh, and Mr. Upcoming Writer on , I'm honoured you want to use some of my ideas. I did try to find the story, but failed to. If you could tell me the penname of whoever posted it I can find it easier.**


	11. Chapter 11: The Cause

**Chapter 11: The Cause**

You stretch your arms back and forth as you walk back to your dorm. It's about time to call it a night, especially after the taxing day with Weiss. It was fun, no doubt, but you haven't had to do so much in a day since your time in Atlas. At least you were entertained today. After the "concert" Weiss brought you to some high-end restaurant, an interactive museum, and so many other things. But there's only so much time in the day and you had to come back. In fact, you just left Weiss a moment ago, as she has to go to her room, and you need to go to yours.

You let out a small yawn as you approach your room. You slip your hand into your pocket and grab your scroll for the door lock.

"At least I'll be able to get an easy sleep," you say, opening your door. "All alone in my comfy…"

Your brain finally processes what your eyes are seeing. There's another bed, and another person.

"What… What happened to my room?" You shout, completely baffled at the situation.

Dylan lifts his upper body off his bed to see you.

"Surprise," he smirks, lifting his arms to display his section.

"What is this?" You question, closing the door behind you.

"You're the one who brought me here, so it seems we're in the same dorm. Fortunately we're not on a team, as I refuse to work with someone as repugnant as you," he insults, laying back down.

"But… I…"

"Cry to Ozpin about it," he bluntly states.

You let your body relax in defeat. You are the one who brought him here, so it makes sense you'll have to deal with him.

"Wait, you're a student now?"

Dylan nods.

"It was this or the police. A much as you irritate me, you're preferable over containment, if only slightly."

"You're a real smooth talker, you know that?" You say, heading to your bed.

"Whatever. Just don't bother me during the night."

"Oh, so you won't mind that I snore louder than an Ursa?" You smirk, throwing your jacket over to the chair.

"Hm… it's not like there's a lot of difference there," he counters, closing his eyes to sleep.

"Oh, oh, I didn't realize you could play this game, Dylan. You want to keep going back and forth cause I can go all night!"

"I would prefer to sleep, if you don't mind. Unlike you, I have important things to think of. I'm sure you don't understand that, as you likely have nothing worth thinking of," he calmly states.

You roll your eyes and get comfortable in your bed, attempting to ignore the man beside you. He rolls his head over to see you.

"Why did you bring me here? Really?" He asks.

You smirk.

"Because I know you didn't miss," you respond before rolling onto your side and covering yourself with the blankets.

"Hmph," is all Dylan responds with as he rolls to the opposite side of you. "I… did miss…" He weakly says under his breath.

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"Yaaaaang, you promised!" Ruby whines, following her older sister around their dorm.

Yang shrugs.

"Sorry Rubes, that was before we had this assignment. Unlike you I didn't have Weiss do everything for me," she teases.

"Hey, she just did it! I wasn't going to complain," Ruby complains. "We've been planning this since last week!"

"I don't know what to tell ya. I guess you gotta find someone else to go with," Yang tells her as she gives her hair one last brush in front of the mirror. Satisfied with her look, she heads for the door with Ruby hot on her heels. "Sorry Ruby, I was supposed to meet Blake ten minutes ago. I'll see you later."

"But… but!"

Before Ruby can come up with something to say Yang closes the door behind her.

"Awwww," Ruby whines as she falls flat on her back.

Suddenly she hears the door to the bathroom open. She looks over and sees Weiss, all dressed and ready for the day. Ruby bounces to her feet and runs up to Weiss.

"Hey Weiss want to-"

"No," Weiss quickly shoots down as she walks past Ruby.

Ruby puffs her cheeks at the heiress, to which Weiss rolls her eyes at.

"I have some other things to do today. Perhaps another time."

"There won't be another time! It ends this weekend!" Ruby shouts, waving her arms at break-neck speeds.

"Well it seems you'll have to go with someone else. Perhaps ask (Y/N). He did say you two would spend time together, did he not?"

Ruby thinks back to yesterday. Yes, she remembers. You said that as you and Weiss were leaving.

"Oh yeah… what did you two do yesterday?" Ruby inquires.

"Nothing really," Weiss lies, keeping the entire instance with Tuckson to herself. "We just went to a few events. It was very entertaining."

"Oh…" Ruby reacts, a tad sad. "So… he enjoyed it?"

Weiss, who isn't catching on to Ruby's sadness, replies with a nod.

"Yes, he seemed to. Still, I think you should ask him to go with you. I'm sure you'd both have fun. You two are good together."

Ruby instantly goes red.

"W-W-What does that mean!?"

Weiss cocks her head to the side.

"You two seem to converse fairly easily, so I assume spending a day together wouldn't be too taxing."

"Oh, yeah, that's what you meant it totally make sense I'm gonna go find him," Ruby babbles.

Ruby jogs out of the room, closing the door behind her. Weiss stares at the door for a few seconds after Ruby leaves, then exhales as she shakes her head. Weiss pulls out her scroll and begins typing away. She has a promise to keep, and a flight to book.

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Ruby, who's now walking, approaches your room. She knocks with a little tune to it, then waits for a response. Not long after the door opens, revealing someone who she wasn't expecting.

"Yes?" Dylan says, looking down at Ruby.

"Oh… um… am I at the wrong room? I thought this was it?" Ruby mumbles aloud.

"You're looking for Slater, am I right?" Dylan predicts.

Ruby nods.

"Yeah… who are you?"

"His roommate. Look, some woman named… Pyrrha, I believe, came by a bit earlier. Those two left together about ten minutes ago. I don't know where."

"Oh, alright then. Thanks for your help," Ruby happily says, smiling.

"Yeah…" Dylan huffs, closing the door.

Ruby begins walking away from your dorm at a lazy pace, swinging her legs around as she thinks.

 _When did (Y/N) get a new roommate? He never mentioned that… hm… and he's with Pyrrha. Maybe I shouldn't bother them. Jaune would go with me! But… I… kind of really want (Y/N) to come. Wait, why? Why do I want him to come, Jaune would be great company! But so would (Y/N)…_

Ruby's eyes fill with conviction. She'll find you, and at least ask if you want to come with her. If not, she'll go with Jaune. A simple plan. Now all she has to do is find you.

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"Do you see what I mean?" Pyrrha asks you as she pulls Jaune off the ground.

You nod, slowly approaching them.

"Yeah, Jaune's footing isn't right. It's close, but it's not stable enough. You're getting knocked off your feet too easily," you speak.

Jaune brushes himself off and huffs.

"Alright. Can we try again?"

"Hold on, Jaune. How about I show you exactly what Pyrrha is talking about, and then you try again," you propose, looking at Pyrrha for confirmation.

Pyrrha smiles at the thought.

"That sounds like an excellent idea. (Y/N), take the same position as Jaune was."

You nod and step where Jaune was. Jaune moves out of the way, watching both of you. He's attempting to practice taking on a head-on assault – one strong hit – and keeping on his feet. Perhaps his failure comes from how powerful Pyrrha is, but his only other option at the time was Nora, and there's no way he'd come out of that without at least one broken bone. Thus, for training purposes, Pyrrha asked you to watch and see what Jaune's doing wrong.

You take position, pulling out Crimson Blaze. Pyrrha spins her weapon in her hand a few times, waiting for you to get ready. You execute a strong stance, holding your weapon with both hands right in front of you, so the blade is evenly separating your face from Pyrrha's point of view.

"Alright Jaune, so you need to really focus yourself here. Using your aura might help, but its mostly just muscle and technique," you shout. "Alright Pyrrha, come at me!"

Pyrrha nods, then proceeds sprinting towards you. She's gaining speed every second she's moving, giving her a powerful momentum advantage. You dig your heels into the ground and grip your sword tightly, preparing for the attack. Thankfully you've fought Pyrrha before, so you know here average hitting power. Knowing that, you can estimate how much force will be behind this attack, and gauge your own strength accordingly.

Pyrrha leaps into the air, spins around, and slices you. You push your sword forward a little bit to lessen her impact. Your blades connect, sending a devastating shockwave around you. You begin sliding across the ground, but you barely break your position. Instead, you flick your sword up, sending Pyrrha flipping over you. She lands behind you, and you swing your leg around, rotate your sword, and connect. One more collision occurs, raising the bits of dirt and pavement around you. Jaune watches in awe, truly impressed by the two of you. He jogs over to your location, which is at least a few meters from the original, and peers into the dust cloud. It eventually evaporates, revealing you now pushing your blade against Pyrrha.

You're both smiling at each other, then break into a small fit of laughter. You holster your weapons and start walking towards Jaune.

"That's basically what I mean, though the reversal is a little more advanced," you say.

"It was genuinely surprising. I wasn't expecting retaliation," Pyrrha admits.

"Yet you handled it perfectly. Shows how skilled you are," you compliment. "Anyway, Jaune, did you get what I was saying."

Jaune sheepishly chuckles.

"I… think I need more practice," he concurs.

You laugh.

"Fair enough. Alright, how about we-"

"(Y/N)!" A young voice shouts.

You, Jaune, and Pyrrha look over at the source: Ruby. She's jogging towards you, a wide smile on her face. You wave.

"Hey Little Red! What's up?" You happily ask, smiling at the sight of the young Huntress-in-Training.

Ruby stops in front of you, then waves at Pyrrha and Jaune, who wave back.

"Are you guys, uh, doing anything?"

"Well, Pyrrha and I were just showing Jaune something quick. Why? Do you need one of them?" You ask.

"No, I need you! Well, I… I wish to ask you something," Ruby quickly corrects.

You shrug and cross your arms, swaying your body ever so slightly.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Would you like to, well… Yang was supposed to come with me but she can't now so I need someone and I thought you might want to come to a carnival… with me?" Ruby hopefully asks, a little red around the cheeks.

You ponder her request for a moment, then nod your head.

"Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun!" You enthusiastically answer before turning to Pyrrha and Jaune. "You two can continue without me?"

Pyrrha nods.

"I think I can handle it. Thank you for helping."

"Yeah, it was cool to see," Jaune adds.

"Anytime. So," you turn back to Ruby. "Shall we go? Or is it not open yet?"

"It is! Come on! I can't waaaaait!" She shrieks in delight, grabbing your sleeve and tugging you towards the airpad.

You chuckle at her excitement, and give one last wave to your other friends as you leave them. They wave back, laughing at your situation.

"She's grown a liking to him," Pyrrha observes.

Jaune nods in agreement.

"Yeah. I haven't seen her like this with many others. Were you there when Yang was going on about those two?"

Pyrrha ponders this for a moment.

"No, I don't believe so. Why?"

"Well, apparently they were sitting near the docks together and…"

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After a very bubbly ride to Vale, you and Ruby arrive at the docking area. Ruby, who has thankfully stopped dragging you around by the arm, instead pushes you out of the airship.

"Come on! Come on!" She ecstatically cries.

"Ruby… when does this thing end?" You question.

Ruby stops pushing you and thinks.

"About… maybe eleven at night. Why?"

"Ruby, we have all day! You don't need to be in such a rush," you snicker.

"I know, but I'm just so excited! This only comes around once a year, and I haven't missed one for as long as I can remember."

"How long can you remember, Little Red?"

"I… hey!" She complains, putting her hands on her hips and pouting.

You laugh, then rustle her hair, making her pout some more.

"Ah, you're too cute Little Red," you compliment before walking ahead of her.

Ruby's left as still as a statue and as red as a Grimm's eyes. Did she just hear you right? Did you just call her cute? It feels as though her heart's going to beat right out of her chest. What is that feeling? Why does she feel so… she can't even explain it. She's never felt like this before. A pit in her stomach starts to form as she dwells on your words more.

You notice that Ruby isn't beside you anymore. You look around and see her still standing.

"I thought you wanted to get there? Besides, I have no idea where I'm going," you call out.

Ruby somewhat snaps out of her moment, then runs to catch up with you.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just… uh…"

"Hm… did I say something wrong? You're a little red, Little Red?" You chuckle at your own joke.

"No, no, nothing. L-Let's just go! I wanna get there!" Ruby declares, trying to get away from what just happened.

You shrug, and continue to walk with her. The two of you walk at a pretty even pace. You notice that there are a lot more people on the streets than you would've figured. Perhaps it was different with Weiss, or perhaps it has something to do with this carnival. Everyone seems to be going in the same direction, with a few stragglers breaking off from the huge current of bodies. Ruby seems to be sticking closer to you than you would have thought.

"You alright, Little Red?" You ask with concern.

"Oh?" Ruby looks up at you, then nervously smiles. "Yeah, I'm just not used to being around so many people at once. I barely have any room."

"Heh, yeah. I get you. You know, we could always bust out some moves and get them to run?" You propose, slowly moving your hand to Crimson Blaze.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby shouts.

You laugh, relaxing your arm.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. What's with the nervousness, though? You can more than take care of yourself," you speak.

"I know, I just… really don't like big crowds."

"Hm… well, just stick beside me. We can links arms if that makes you feel any better?" You tease, lightly elbowing her.

Before Ruby can respond you both hear some commotion behind you. It sounds like young kids laughing. Suddenly one runs into Ruby, causing her to fall forwards. Already close to her, you slip your hand around her waist, keeping her from smacking the ground. Ruby dangles in midair, only held by your arm. She feels… safe. Comfortable. She starts blushing once again, knowing you're holding onto her.

You quickly pull her back to her feet then turn your attention to the child ahead of you, who didn't fall over.

"Hey, kid! Apologize to the lady, huh?" You shout, gesturing to Ruby.

The child saunters back to you and Ruby, extremely nervous and guilty.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you," he mumbles.

"It's okay. Just be careful," Ruby cheerfully says, giving him a smile.

The kid then looks up at you to see your smile. It's contagious, as he starts smiling too.

"Okay!" He says before running back into the crowd.

You shake your head.

"You alright, Little Red?"

Ruby nods.

"Yep, thanks for the save."

"Any time. Now, let's get to your carnival, huh?"

Ruby nods and continues to walk with you. Following the crowd the whole time, it wasn't difficult to find the carnival, even if you were on your own. You could faintly see some lights before even getting there, and you can definitely hear the people. Ruby continues to get more excited the closer you get there, and it's represented in her step. There's more enthusiasm and bounce to it the closer you get to the carnival. It makes you smile, seeing her like this. Her smile, her silver eyes full of excitement… it's…

"(Y/N)?" Ruby questions, cocking her head to the side, making her hair fall on her face which she quickly fixes.

You shake your head, then rub the back of it.

"Yeah?" You chuckle.

"What were you looking at? Do I have something on my face?" Ruby questions, rubbing her face in an attempt to get anything off it.

"What? No, no, you look great- gah, I mean there's nothing on your face," you quickly correct. "I guess I was just lost in thought."

Ruby giggles, and, for some reason, she's happy you were looking at her. You look away from her, staring at where you're going, but she continues to look at you. She's really happy you were able to come with her.

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After some time, you and Ruby make it to the carnival. Ruby unfortunately lost her wallet, which she blamed her lady pockets on, so you had to pay for the two of you. You didn't mind, of course, and it wasn't even that much since Huntsmen and Huntresses get a small discount, even the ones in-training.

"Thanks so much for paying for me. I would have been so mad if I had come all the way here just to go back," Ruby sheepishly states.

"Ah, it's fine. Come on, let's enjoy ourselves," you smirk.

The carnival is massive, taking up a decent chunk of Vale. There are rides, vendors, people, music, balloons, everything. The vibe is so upbeat with the mix of laughter, music, and sound effects. Every second you hear someone goading others into their games, and the sounds of the games themselves. Even during the brightest point in the day, the lights flashing from all angles is still a sight to see. The young Huntress beside you has already been hypnotized by all the games and lights. Her mouth is wide open, ogling at everything around her.

"Ooooh, it's just how I remembered! We gotta play a game, (Y/N)! Come on!" She shrieks, grabbing your hand and running over to the nearest game.

"Whoa! Hey!" You shout as Ruby pulls you, nearly making you fall.

Ruby brings you to a game with a few water guns set up.

"Step right up. You two, the lovely couple there, come play!" The game master calls, pointing at you and Ruby.

Ruby doesn't seem to hear him, but you definitely do.

 _A couple? I guess it could seem that way. But, this is just how Little Red is._

Ruby takes a seat, spinning a little bit, then grabs the gun. You calmly take a seat and hand the man tickets for both of you.

"Alright! All you have to do is aim at the center target there until the balloon is filled. First one to fill the balloon wins, and can take a prize from the first two shelves," he explains, gesturing to all the different parts, and the shelves which display small prizes such as small stuffed plushies of animals and Grimm. "If you manage to pop the balloon, then you can have one of the prizes from the top shelf. Now. Are. You. Ready?" He declares.

Ruby narrows her eyes at you, smiling. You give her your own smile, raising the competition.

"Go!" He shouts, activating the water in the guns.

You grip the gun rightly and begin spraying into the target with perfect accuracy. However, Ruby is doing the same. Of course she is, since she's a sniper. She would have perfect accuracy with a gun since she has so much practice with it. You have had lots of practice with firearms, but since you're more of a close range fighter you're at a disadvantage. Surprisingly, Ruby stops firing. You glance over at her, but she's still focused. She fires a second long stream, stops, then repeats. You observe her balloon and notice that she's surpassing you. You realize what she's doing now. Her shots have more pressure than yours, so it fills more.

"Six more seconds!" The game master calls out.

Both balloons are filling up, and will no doubt get filled by the time its over. But you're not going to settle for just filling it. You keep spraying as the game master counts down. Ruby sticks her tongue out as she gets more serious, but you don't allow that to distract you.

"Three!"

Your balloon is full. Just a little more.

"Two!"

There's no time. You have to come up with something. You stop firing water.

"One!"

You quickly spray one shot, similar to Ruby. All the water hits the target, which makes the balloon explode. The bell rings, signaling that the game is over. You smack your hand on the surface and stand.

"Yes!" You cheer in victory.

Ruby pouts, not pleased that she lost. She hops off the stool and approaches you.

"Well, you won. I guess you can choose what you want."

You look at the prizes, not really sure what you want. You glance over at Ruby, who's staring at something in particular. It's a stuffed dog with a brown back and white belly. It's a pretty decent size too. You shrug and point at it.

"That one, please."

Ruby follows your finger to the one she was staring at, then twists her head back to you. The game master hands you the animal.

"Here is your prize! Thank you for playing!"

You grab the stuffy and smile at him.

"Thanks. And," you turn to Ruby, handing her the dog. "This is for you."

Ruby holds it and feels its soft material. She coos into it, squeezing the stuffed animal. You smirk at her enjoyment.

"Why'd you get it for me?" She wonders, most of her face covered by the toy.

You shrug.

"Well, I didn't really want anything, and I noticed you staring at it, so…"

You leave the sentence there, looking around.

"Anyway, wanna keep going? There's a ton of other stuff to do," you offer.

Ruby smiles, nodding enthusiastically.

"Yeah… yeah! There's one thing I really wanted to do, but we'll check everything out on our way!"

"Well there we go! Let's get a move on."

You and Ruby walk off, Ruby still holding the stuffed animal.

"So, any reason you wanted that one?" You ask.

"It reminds me of my dog," Ruby admits, cuddling the stuffy even more.

"Hm… I never had a dog, or any animal," you reveal.

"Not even at all those places you lived?" Ruby inquires, looking at you.

You shake your head.

"Nope, none of them had an animal. Other kids, yeah, but no animal. Guess that's for the best though. I might've gotten too connected to the animal," you lightly chuckle.

Ruby becomes downcast for a moment as she thinks.

"Well, maybe I'll introduce you to Zwei! You'd like him!" Ruby declares, hoping to cheer you up.

You graze your hand along the stuffed animal, feeling the surprisingly soft texture of the material.

"Yeah… that'd be cool."

And so you and Ruby continue through the carnival, going to nearly every game and every ride. She's like a kid the entire time, but it never ceases to amuse you. It's part of her charm, and you're happy that hasn't gone away. Then again, it's also part of her age. It'll likely go away in a few years, maybe. Huntsmen and Huntresses tend to mature a little faster than most, due to what they have to learn and endure. That very thing is why you prefer to keep your sense of humour during fights. Too many Huntsmen become too serious, and some don't even follow the Huntsmen's path.

You can remember a couple times where you've had to fight a fellow Huntsman who's gone down a darker path. To no surprise it was during your training with Qrow, and instead of him fighting them he would watch from the shadows as you did it, and if you were ever in danger of dying he swooped in. You fought two Huntsmen in your life. Qrow had to help you both times. You were younger and weaker then. As you are now, you could have taken them down with relative ease. You can only imagine what that dusty old guy is doing nowadays.

Lost in both thought and a plethora of activities, the time goes on like nothing. Both you and Ruby share laughs, stories, and even some ice-cream. You both got separate cones, of course. With all the time being used, night quickly descended upon Vale. The carnival didn't stop however, and the darkness only made it even more of a spectacle to see. Now spotlights were being shot into the air, attracting those from all over the kingdom. Ruby is even more dazzled by the lights and gets more into the whole spirit, which you didn't think was possible.

"Okay, we're almost there," Ruby huffs, marching through the grounds.

"It's been hours Ruby. Have we seriously not gotten to where you want to go?" You ask, slugging yourself along.

Ruby happily shakes her head.

"Nope. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it."

After a minute you and Ruby approach what appears to be a section of the carnival with some tighter security. You raise your brow at this, but Ruby seems unfazed by it. Ruby approaches two men standing in front of the entrance.

"Hiya! Can we enter? We're both from Beacon," she informs.

The two men scan you both, looking at your weapons and apparel.

"Those do seem like Huntsmen's weapons… alright, go on," the guard on the left says as he steps to the side.

You and Ruby walk into the area. There are far less people here, but you recognize a lot of their faces. They're other students from Beacon.

"Ruby, where are we?" You ask, surveying the area.

"This is a Huntsmen only area. There are some games and prizes tailored specifically for us. But I'm still looking for…"

Ruby trails off as she looks around. Her eyes land on a certain vendor, and she starts bubbling.

"There! There it is!" She happily screams, running over there in a flash, leaving you baffled.

"H-Hey!" You call, running to catch up to her.

When you get there Ruby is ogling over a prize. You examine it and realize it's a lightweight frame for a HCS, which Ruby somewhat has.

"A frame for your weapon? But this isn't for scythes," you point out.

Ruby waves you off.

"Psh, you think I can't modify it," she chuckles at your ignorance. "But I've been looking for something like this forever! It'll help me move around faster with Crescent Rose!"

You look at the event that correlates with it. It's a large pole with varying levels, and a small ball at the bottom of it. You assume it's related to the classic 'hit the base with a hammer' game, but this is different. There is fake Ursa that's on its hind legs, and a pad is slapped right on its stomach.

The game master notices Ruby looking at the prize and approaches you both.

"You want that frame, huh kid?" He smirks, knowing he's got someone hooked. "Well, all you have to do is hit that there button as hard as you can," he instructs, pointing at the pad on the Ursa's stomach. "And if the ball reaches the top, you can get that prize!"

Ruby immediately grabs some tickets you gave her and hands it to the man. He takes them and gestures towards the Ursa.

"Go ahead, young lady. Hit the Ursa as hard as you can, but you can only use your fists."

Ruby nods, then takes a few steps back. She judges it a bit, then runs as fast as she can while not using her semblance, charges her fist, and punches the Ursa's stomach. You watch from the side as the ball does the smallest jump you've ever seen. Ruby looks at it and instantly becomes depressed.

"Oooh, I'm sorry, it seems I can't give you anything. Better luck next time!" The game master declares.

Ruby turns to you in a flash.

"(Y/N), you try! You can do it, right?" She begs.

"I would, but those were our last tickets," you inform.

Reality slowly sinks into Ruby as her face becomes ever so pale. She falls back, lying flat on the floor. You sigh and look at the game.

 _It's probably rigged… but we have no tickets… unless…_

You walk over to the game master.

"Hey, can I offer something other than tickets?" You ask, which gains Ruby's attention.

The game master raises his brow, turning his body towards you in intrigue.

"What are you offering?" He asks.

You attract Crimson Blaze to your hand, then display it to him.

"A Huntsman's weapon, along with the glove that goes with it," you declare with unwavering determination.

"Hm…" The man looks at the weapon, then at you. "Very well. If you don't hit the top then you give me your weapons."

You nod, handing the sword over to him. Ruby rushes to you, beating at your chest.

"What're you doing?" She questions, full of worry.

"I'm getting you your mod… I hope," you mumble the last part as you approach the Ursa.

You stand directly in front of the Ursa, judging what you're going to do. You raise one hand forward and get into a stance.

"What did he call it… one centimeter punch? No… uh… damn, I can't remember," you whisper to yourself as you set up.

You lightly place your middle finger against the button, keeping your arm and hand as straight as possible. Ruby watches with anticipation and anxiety. She's chipping away at her nails as you set up, worried that you might not make it.

You take in a deep breath and close your eyes. You concentrate all your aura into your fist, and the moment it's all there, you open your eyes and thrust your fist into the pad. The balls flies up and smashes out of the setup, landing beside the Ursa. You huff, then wipe your hands on each other.

"That's that. I'd say that was satisfactory," you smirk, walking towards the game master.

He huffs in frustration as he hands you your sword back. You let it attract to your belt, then point towards Ruby's mod.

"That too, please."

As the game master goes to get it Ruby rushes up to you, catching you off guard by leaping into a hug. You both spin around as she hugs you tightly.

"YOU DID IT!" She yells in joy.

You give in and hug her back, chuckling at her excitement. You both let go of each other, but the moment you do Ruby realizes what she did. Her face goes red and she becomes timid, putting her hands behind her back and tapping the tip of her boot.

"I… uh… sorry," she mumbles.

You shake your head firmly.

"No, it's fine. You were excited, and you're not all that bad of a hugger. Anyway, get your mod, huh?" You suggest, flicking your head towards the game master.

Ruby nods and rushes over to get it. After she grabs it she returns to you and exhales.

"That was a good day, and waaay to close at the end," she admits.

"Yeah… should we head back to Beacon now?"

"Yeah, sure. Do you want me to carry one of those?"

Ruby throws the stuffy at your face, which baffles you.

"Yeah, hold that as I read this!"

You shake your head as you laugh, and walk back. It takes little time for you two to leave the carnival since you don't stop at any point, and there are less people around. It's more people from your school, and young couples now. No kids or older adults. It doesn't really bother you, as the only person you care about right now is Ruby. You look over at her to see her talking to herself about how to implement the mod. You suddenly notice she's about to walk into a pole, so you tug her hood a bit to move her closer to you. She doesn't even notice, and keeps reading the box.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's been hours since Blake and Yang completed their assignment, and the two are now lounging in their room. Unlike Yang, Blake's mind is on overdrive right now. The presence of Dylan Brine is still making her on edge. She knows not why he's here or his motivations for being here, but she doesn't trust them one bit. He could be spying for _him_ and then _he_ will know where she is. She can't allow that to happen, but at the same time she can't just attack another 'student'.

With her mind on the fritz about it, she decides to visit him again, this time taking a more friendly approach. She elegantly leaves her bed and walks towards the door. Yang pokes her head out from her bed.

"Where're you going?"

"Just… for a walk. I'll be back soon."

Yang shrugs and goes back to… whatever she was doing. Blake leaves the room and plots a course to your room. It takes less than a minute and she's at your door. She pleasantly knocks, then waits for a response. She can hear a groan from the other side, and the footsteps leading up to the door. It opens, revealing Dylan.

"What do you want?" He says with venom.

"I would like to talk to you," she pleasantly says, keeping herself composed.

Dylan sizes her up, then rolls his eyes. He walks away from the door, leaving it open for Blake.

"I don't know what's worse, humans or a traitorous Faunus."

"Is that all I'm known for, now?" Blake asks.

"It's all you are," Dylan snaps, turning to Blake.

Blake keeps eye contact with him, standing her ground.

"I stand by what I believe. If I'm called a traitor for that, then so be it," she says.

"Evidently you don't believe in the revolution we are bringing."

"No, I don't," Blake quickly responds. "I believe in equality. What… he wants is not equality."

"Why should humans deserve to be our equals after all they've put us through?" Dylan questions, leaning against the far wall.

"Why should we deserve equality if we cannot forgive them? They've even taken steps to-"

"Steps? Blake, I can't believe you're so blind to see that humans treat us no better than they used to!"

Blake shakes her head in disappointment.

"I can't believe you're so blind that you need someone else's eyes."

Dylan recoils a bit at her words.

"Your words," she starts slowly walking towards him. "They aren't yours. You're speaking exactly like Adam, and not like yourself. Maybe if you formed your own opinion with your own knowledge then you could see how wrong the White Fang are. Perhaps not all humans accept Faunus, and yes, humans do need to take bigger steps towards equality, but the White Fang are the very reason Faunus are not trusted yet!"

Dylan is a bit surprised at Blake's statement, and her tone. She's usually calmer, and though she doesn't seem angry, she's definitely passionate. Blake exhales, calming herself.

"You should see through your own eyes again, Dylan. You once tried. I'm sure you can try again. The people here, at Beacon, most of them are good to Faunus. Maybe they can show you what humans can really be like."

"Coming from the one who hides their true self," Dylan jabs.

Blake shakes her head.

"And yet my friends still accept me, knowing who I really am."

Blake turns away and begins to walk out of the room.

"Form your own opinion, Dylan. Once you do that, I'll be glad to speak to you again."

With that, Blake leaves the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Dylan to his thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thus, the night was over. The last airship to Beacon departs, leaving you and Ruby to head back to your respective dorms. You're still carrying the stuffy, and she's carrying the mod.

"Hey, Little Red," you say, getting Ruby's attention. You give her a warm, comforting smile. "Thanks… for inviting me. I had a lot of fun with you tonight."

"Oh, uh, hehe, it was nothing. I had fun too!" Ruby responds, suppressing a blush.

"We'll do it again sometime. Maybe not the carnival, but something else. Maybe next time we'll bring the rest of your team…. Or maybe not," you propose, shrugging.

Ruby begins pondering something. It's on the tip of her tongue, but she can't figure out how to say it. Before she can even start to incoherently speak, someone else cuts it.

"(Y/N)!" Ozpin says, approaching you two.

"Oh, hey Ozpin," you greet, waving with your free hand.

"Hello Professor," Ruby cheerfully greets.

"Hello Ms. Rose. It appears you two went to the carnival?" Ozpin assumes.

You nod.

"Yeah, it was fun. Little Red invited me and, well," you display the two things you're bringing back. "We got some stuff."

"Well, you got some stuff. But I almost beat you with the water guns!" Ruby teases.

Ozpin chuckles.

"I'm glad you both had fun. But, (Y/N), could I speak to you in my office for a moment?"

You and Ruby share a look.

"Sure. Here, Little Red take the stuffy," you say, plopping it on her head.

"Hey!"

"Hehe, well, I'll see ya later. Let's go, Ozpin."

Ozpin bows his head and turns to begin walking. Ruby moves the stuffy off her head and waves at you, to which you wave back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ozpin sits at his desk and you sit across from him. He has a small file on the desk, which he pushes towards you.

"There's a small village a fair distance from Vale," he explains as you grab the file and begin reading it. "They've reported an abnormal amount of Grimm on the outskirts of the village. Since you're not officially in any classes, you won't be missing anything. I need you to take a Bullhead to the village and eliminate the pack."

"Wait… this says that the Grimm have been… 'taunting'?" You question, not believing it.

Ozpin nods.

"Grimm stand around the village on the edge of the woods, staring at them, but don't attack. This is extremely abnormal for Grimm. Perhaps during your time there you'll discover what's happening."

You nod, tapping Ozpin's desk.

"You can count on me. When do I leave?"

"Tonight, actually. The village is willing to have you until the Grimm issue is resolved."

You stand up, leaving the file on Ozpin's desk.

"Alright, I'll head out now."

You start to walk away.

"(Y/N)," Ozpin calls.

You stop and turn around. Ozpin approaches you, then places his hand on your shoulder.

"Be safe. If there's something you can't handle, be sure to contact either Glynda or myself. We'll send someone to assist you."

You smile at Ozpin's concern, humbled by it.

"Don't worry Ozpin, there's not much that I can't handle," you reassure, taking a few steps backwards. "It's what eleven years of training does. But yes, I'll be sure to call if I'm in trouble," you chuckle, really not intending to.

You enter the elevator and the doors close. Ozpin sighs the moment you leave.

"He has no intention of calling for help," Ozpin confirms. He turns around and walks towards the window. He stares at Vale, the looks to his side. His old friend, Jet, is standing beside him, also looking out the window. "You never called for help either, Jet. If you did… perhaps…"

Ozpin trails off into his own thought. He looks down at his cane and closes his eyes. Suddenly the elevator door opens, and Glynda walks in. Her heels fill the room, only rivaled by the ticking of the gears. She comes to a halt beside Ozpin, remaining silent. Ozpin looks up towards Mt. Glenn.

"Is (Y/N) being sent out on a mission?" Glynda speak, staring at you from high above.

"He is. Nothing too complicated… but…"

"You're worried he might be found?"

Ozpin nods. A tension grows from silence. After a few moments Glynda speaks.

"Are you sure you want him to go out on his own? I mean… if you're right, then him being on his own is…"

"I know how you feel Glynda. I don't want to run the risk of the two running into each other. But trapping him at Beacon would likely cause him to stir and become restless. He would also become curious as to the why. Keeping him in the dark is best, for now."

Glynda sighs, shifting her body a bit. She doesn't like the thought of you in danger. She knows you can handle Grimm, but this… it's like she has a natural protective instinct. She can only imagine Ozpin's feeling the same way, no matter how impassive he often appears.

Both Glynda and Ozpin watch as the Bullhead you've boarded takes off, heading out to your mission.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You sit still in the Bullhead, waiting to arrive. The events that just took place with Ozpin are still spinning in your mind.

 _He seemed really concerned. Does he think I can't handle this mission? No, he wouldn't have assigned me to it if he thought I couldn't do it. That, or he would have made someone go with me. Ha, I kinda wish Dylan tagged along. He would have made for fun company, though I fear he'd just run away the moment I took my eyes off him. Yeah, better he stays at Beacon. Though, with Ozpin, it seemed he was acting very… fatherly, I think. Maybe he's not used to it yet. I know I'm not. I probably won't be calling him 'dad' any time soon. Heck, I haven't called anyone that in years. I don't think he expects me too, though. Heh, it's like I have a whole new family. Ozpin is the quiet, wise father, while Glynda is the overprotective mom. Glynda… she means well, I know it. Ever since that night… when she kissed me… she's been easier on me. She checked on me every so often too, though maybe that'll change now that Dylan is rooming with me. I'm pretty sure a couple students were jealous that Glynda took a special interest in me, too. She's not even that old, I think. Actually I don't know her age, though I don't think asking her would go over well._

You yawn and rest your hands behind your head.

"Maybe I'll just take a nap till we get there," you say to yourself as you attempt to sleep.

You try to. You really do. But the rumbling of the Bullhead and the constant bouncing isn't working for you at the moment. It's an annoying feeling of constant moving and buzzing.

"Are there speakers or something? Any music whatsoever?" You shout at the pilot.

"No…" He blankly states.

You pout and cross your arms. The only thing that comes to your mind now is the day you had with Ruby. Her pale, smiling face that's cocked to the side is plastered in your head. She seemed so happy with you with her laughing and smiles, and you… you were happy with her too. Her soft laugh, warm smile, bright eyes, and entertaining personality is what made the day. You didn't even have to be at the carnival to have a good time with her, though the small competition with the waters guns, and the success of the punching game, definitely helped augment the entire experience for both you and her. You can only imagine what she thinks of it all. She's only a kid, and a good one at that, so you assume she's seeing you as a good friend she can rely on.

Your face sours for a moment as your muscles get tighter. A single thought sets you on an entirely different course.

 _She can rely on me, and so can the others. But… qm I willing to rely on them? It's not that I need to, but… from what Ozpin said it almost sounds like he wants me to. No, I don't need to rely on them._

You firmly shake your head, certain of your thought.

 _I'm strong enough to handle anything thrown at me. I'll help them no matter what, as a friend, but for them to help me? There's no need. No need for them to worry, no need for me ask._

You get out of your seat and tussle your hair. Of course you don't need to rely on anyone else. You've never had to through most of your life. With all your training, all your experience, and all your techniques you're more than a match for anything you're thrown up against. You'll always do it with a smile, too. You can't forget the smile.

"We're approaching the drop off point," the pilot announces, flicking a few buttons.

He doesn't see it, but you nod in acknowledgement. You walk up to the Bullhead door and open it. A large vacuum of air hits you, whipping your hair and jacket in accordance to the wind. You remain perfectly still, however, waiting to see your environment. At first you only see a forest, which isn't all that unique around Vale. You've seen more than your fair share of forests. However the view changes after the pilot circles around the village. It's a very simple place with no more than a dozen houses with one larger building near the middle. You can only imagine it to be some meeting ground or a hall of some sort. The only other thing you note is a hill less than a minute from the town. There's some sort of manmade alter or something on it. You can't see all the details through the dark.

Eventually, after too much time in your opinion, the pilot lands. A few villagers open their doors, the light beaming from the building turning them all into silhouettes. One man and a younger child, no more than six, step out of the house and approach you. You hop out of the Bullhead, allowing it to take off back to Beacon and leave you here. You make your way to meet the man.

He definitely has some years on him, being between fourty and fifty. He's balding, as you notice a small lack of hair on the top of his head, but its styled so that he still looks decent. He's clean shaven with an average build for a civilian. He has deep brown eyes that seem to hold a lot of information, but still seem warm and welcoming. Right now, however, he seems more nervous than anything.

The boy has short ginger hair with freckles dotting his face. He has bright, hopeful blue eyes that stare at you. He looks skinny for a child, but some kids are like that. He also has a missing tooth, which is easy to notice as he's smiling wide.

"Y-You're the Huntsman?" He whispers.

You nod.

"That I am. (Y/N) Slater, here to help," you introduce, bowing in a very dramatic way.

The child giggles, amused by your actions.

"I'm the village leader, Adhar. Thank you for coming – everyone has been on edge," he gestures towards his home. "May we speak more inside?"

You nod, then follow Adhar and the child. The young one stays with Adhar, but insists on staring at you. You don't mind, as you once marveled at the sight of a Huntsman.

The man leads near the center of the village to the building closest to the large, center one. It's a simple house with nothing special about it. You see a wooden table with wooden chairs, a kitchen, and a few pictures here and there. You note that there are only two ways out of the kitchen, one being a living room and the other going upstairs. Adhar closes the door once everyone is inside, and he walks over to the counter, grabbing a cup. You take a quick whiff and realize its tea.

The child takes a seat at the table and stares at you. You pace around the house, looking at the pictures. All of them have a pattern, that being they consist of three people: Adhar, the child, and a woman.

"This your wife?" You calmly ask, turning to Adhar.

Adhar sorrowfully nods.

"Yes. She was… killed by a Grimm some time ago. It's been my son, Jasper."

"Hi," Jasper waves.

"And myself. The village has been very supportive of us, just as we've been supportive for their losses," Adhar speaks.

"You've lost a lot of people?" You question.

Jasper bobs his head a bit, moaning.

"It happens once in a while. Sometimes a husband, other times a wife or child. It's inevitable when living in the wilderness."

You break eye contact, looking at the floor.

 _Yeah… I know…_

You shake your head and get back to business.

"So, I was told the Grimm were stalking your village?" You ask with a lighthearted tone, attempting to return to your carefree nature. "Did one of you kidnap a baby Grimm of something?"

"Are there baby Grimms daddy?" Jasper wonders.

"I-I'm not sure. I've never heard of-"

"It was a joke," you huff, raising your arm to cut him off. "But is there any reason the Grimm would take interest in your village? It's not normal for them to stalk a village, rather than just destroy it."

Jasper lightly shakes his head, thinking on your words.

"No, sir. We have nothing here. That very fact is why we were so desperate to have someone of your expertise get involved. We simply can't handle a situation like this."

"Yeah, alright. I'll handle them in the morning. I was told there was a place I could rest until the job was done."

"Ah, yes," Adhar quickly responds, putting his tea down. "We've prepared a room upstairs. Please, rest there. We'll discuss this more when everyone has had a good night's rest. Um, Jasper. Please, escort the Huntsman to the room," he commands, gesturing to you.

Jasper hops off the chair and walks up to you.

"Follow me, Mr. Huntsman man," he salutes.

You chuckle.

"After you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ruby returns to her room, a huge smile on her face and her prizes in toe. She unlocks the door to her room and waltzes in, making sure not to bang any of her prizes on the door. Weiss is the first to notice her leader, and the things she's bringing in. Yang is the second to notice, but the first to question.

"Looks like you went to the carnival, eh Rubes?" She pleasantly observes. "Who'd you end up going with?"

Yang already has a guess of who she went with, but she wants to hear Ruby say it.

"(Y/N) came with me. He's the one who won me these prizes," Ruby says, cooing over both the stuffy and the mod.

Yang notices that the stuffed animal has an uncanny resemblance to their dog, but that observation can be saved for later. She looks over at Weiss, who's already giving Yang a look. Then she looks down at Blake, who returns the glance, then rolls her eyes.

"So he won you prizes, huh?" Yang questions, hopping off her bed and approaching Ruby.

"Yep. Now I can add this mod to Crescent Rose and try it out! Ooooh, I've been looking for this forever!" Ruby says to herself, not noticing her approaching sister.

"So did you two have fun?" Yang asks, slipping into Ruby's view.

Ruby doesn't even take a second to think before answering.

"Yeah, we had a lot of fun! (Y/N) was so funny and I was pretty funny too but we both talked for a while and looked at the fireworks on our way back which were as awesome as ever!"

"So all in all you had a great time?" Weiss inquires, finally adding to the conversation.

Ruby enthusiastically nods.

"Yep. I can't wait to see him again! We're gonna have so many inside jokes. Maybe I'll get him a cookie or two for his help, then eat the rest myself," Ruby giggles at the thought.

Yang takes a few steps back and stops near Weiss.

"Don't tell me you're going to believe Coco?" Weiss asks in disbelief.

"I don't know, Weiss. I know Ruby better than anyone, and she's never been this way around a boy before."

"Still, (Y/N) may not even be interested," she confidently says.

Yang raises her brow, turning to Weiss.

"Are you jealous?"

"What? No! He simply doesn't seem like a man who could take anything seriously, let alone a relationship," Weiss snips.

"I think you're not giving him enough credit Weiss," Yang speaks, thinking back to the night where you took care of her. "But at the same time, I don't want to have to break his legs."

"Yang!"

"Are you two talking about me?" Ruby ponders, turning around.

Weiss and Yang both stiffen up and shake their heads no.

"Nope, not at all," Yang answers.

"That would be a ridiculous accusation," Weiss adds.

Ruby stares at them both, examining them with her sharp silver eyes. After a moment she shrugs and goes back to her now opened mod.

"You two are terrible liars," Blake bluntly says, flipping to the next page of her book.

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Its early morning. You couldn't sleep. It's not that the bed was uncomfortable or the accommodations sub-par, you simply couldn't sleep in. Strange, as you're always savouring every moment to sleep whilst at Beacon. Maybe it's the mission mindset. You're a little more serious during missions, though not much. Hell, your entire battle with Dylan, who was a legitimate threat, was you making jokes and goading him into the fight. Granted, it worked in the two ways you wanted it to. For one, it put Dylan on edge and made him make mistakes. Second, it gave you a chance to learn his tactics and abilities. It's ridiculous when people think you're just an idiot and nothing else. There's a method to your madness, which breeds entertainment and results.

But alas, none of this really matters in your current situation. You're walking the perimeter of the village, taking in everything you can – location, building size, spacing, distances from the forest to the village, and any other useful information you can use. You notice Grimm tracks along the edge, but never coming closer than a few feet outside the forest.

 _Why? What causes them to stay away, yet forces them to come back? I don't understand. Grimm aren't like this._

You start to feel a presence nearby. It's watching you from a distance. Either it's a curious villager who's up at the crack of dawn, or a Grimm is here. Since there's a distinct lack of growling or any blood red eyes locked onto you, the only option left is a villager. You turn your head back just in time to see a small head move itself behind a building. You sigh, guessing its one of the children. You place your hands in your jean pockets and saunter over to them.

"I spy with my trained eye, a little kid following me," you say aloud as you pass the corner, looking down at Jasper.

"I… heh…" He mumbles no words and instead goes red with embarrasement.

"What're you doing out of bed, huh?" You ask, kneeling to his level.

"I… well I wanted to see you! You're a Huntsman, so you know how to do a bunch of cool stuff!"

"Hehe, yeah, I do. But I wouldn't be doing that willy nilly, now would I?"

"Willy… nilly?" He questions, cocking his head to the side.

You click your tongue, remembering he's a lot younger than you.

"For no reason, I mean."

"No! I wanna see how to be a Huntsman! I practice all the time with sticks I find around the village!"

"Heh, that's how I started too, believe it or not," you admit, keeping your voice and expression friendly.

"Really? Can you show me some moves?" He pleads with hope in his eyes.

You lift your eyes to look at the sky, simulating thinking.

"How about after this Grimm stuff is taken care of, alright?" You propose, sticking your hand out.

He weakly – and with an extreme lack of form – shakes your hand to seal the deal.

"Alright then. Now get back to bed," you smile, lightly pushing him towards his house.

Jasper giggles as he runs back to his house. Though you can imagine most people are going to be waking up soon, so you should finish your routine before you're disturbed. You walk back to your previous location and continue walking the perimeter. There wasn't much left to it, so it took no more than ten minutes to get it done. You huff, placing your hands on your hips, spinning on one leg, and walk back to the village. To no surprise Adhar is awake and walking towards you.

"Ah, master Huntsman. Did you sleep well?"

You nod.

"Yes, it was a very comfortable bed," you humbly say. "Now, what's your plan if a Grimm invasion does end up happening? I don't want everyone running around as targets for the Grimm."

Adhar firmly shakes his head.

"Of course not. W-We have a safe house beneath our meeting hall. It's more than large enough to hold all of us, and keep us out of danger."

"Perfect. I have one last request," you say, to which Adhar eagerly awaits what that is. "May you gather the entire village? I want to make sure I've at least seen everyone's face, if that isn't too much of a bother."

"Of course, master Huntsman. But… whatever for?"

You're tempted to make a joke. "To see if there are any beautiful ladies." "So I know how many people are expendable." "To make sure nobody's a Grimm in disguise." On any other occasion you would have made a joke, especially if Weiss was with you, as you know it would make her skin crawl. But these people seem too literal for your sense of humour, and there's no point needlessly confusing them.

"As I said, I just want to make sure I know everyone by face. It's a comfort thing, you know," you play off, anchoring your hands behind your head.

"Okay, I shall gather them at once. Please, wait here," he requests as he scurries off.

You push your head against your hands and begin tapping your foot to a random beat. You hear some swinging, and turn your whole upper body towards it. Lo and behold, Jasper is swinging around a stick, feigning it to be a sword. You chuckle at him, but something crawls into your mind. As you watch him. He begins to change…

 _You swing around a stick, shouting at the top of your lungs with each strike. The villagers are staring at you, but you don't care, you're fighting off hoards of Grimm!_

" _Hiya! Hiyaaa!" You shout, spinning around and hitting the imaginary Grimm in the face._

 _Your stance being so weak, you accidentily tumble over your own feet and fall on the ground. Your mother looks over to her son, you, lying face first in the dirt._

" _(Y/N), what're you doing? No Huntsman is like that," she chuckles, aiding you as you get up._

" _But I am a Huntsman mommy, just like dad!"_

 _Clementine chuckles at your enthusiasm._

" _Well, your father is home. Perhaps he'll show you some more?"_

 _Your face lights up with happiness at the thought._

" _Really!? I'll go talk to him right now!"_

 _You run away from Clementine, making her stand up._

" _(Y/N)? (Y/N)! (Y/N)!_

"(Y/N)?" Adhar questions. "Master Huntsman, are you alright?"

You snap out of your moment, seeing Jasper as just Jasper again.

"Huh, yeah, sorry. Must have fazed out a second," you admit, running a hand down your face to clear it.

Once you look at Jasper you notice that a large group of people are standing before you. It's obviously the whole village, as you requested, and you quickly start getting a feel for all their faces. You notice already that there's a mix of humans and Faunus here, which is a pleasant thing to see.

"Daddy?" Jasper shouts.

"Not now, Jasper."

"But daddy, I want permission!" He whines.

"For what, Jasper?" Adhar questions, not looking at his son but instead focusing on you.

"Can I have permission to keep those Grimm out?"

You and Adhar freeze at the statement. You both look towards Jasper and see a massive pack of Beowolves and Ursa charging the village.

"Damn," you mutter, unsheathing Crimson Blaze. "Adhar, get everyone to that safe room, now!" You command, taking in the amount of Grimm that are pouring out of the forest.

Your ears pick up sounds from beside you, and you see another swarm coming in from that direction too. But the first thing that comes to your mind is Jasper. You return your eyes to him, watching him desperately run from the Grimm while swinging the stick lazily in their direction. You immediately start sprinting towards him, determined to save him. At the same time a Beowolf lunges off its hind legs and attempts to pounce the child. You continue to run, ready to take the Beowolf out.

"Jasper! Down!"

 **A cliffhanger ending? When have I ever done that in any of my stories before? Actually don't research that, cause I'm sure its quite a few. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will actually be the end to the Volume 1 section of Crimson Shadow, which means we'll soon be officially moving onto Volume 2 within the next couple chapters. I decided to keep it in Volumes to help people determine where each section of the story is at. So soon I'll be able to add more Sun and Neptune into the story, so shout out to any of their fans. It'll also be interesting to see Dylan interact with a far more laid back Faunus such as Sun. Well, maybe that's just me who's interested in seeing that. Let's just hope Dylan doesn't mess with any possible Blake x Sun in the canon. God, that's a joke but I could totally write that. And sorry to the… what is it… Bumblebee? Yeah, sorry to the Bumblebee fans, but I just don't see that pairing. Though, I'll admit that out of Bumblebee and… IceRose? WhiteRose? Something like that, anyway, I would find Blake x Yang a far more believable pairing than Weiss x Ruby. Not that I pair that much anyway, other than Qrow x Winter. Goddamn do I love that tension.**

 **Also I'd like to thank FurtivePlane4 and ssr673 for their ideas on what Ruby and Slater should do together. I know it would only about half the chapter, but I was really in a rut with that one. So thanks guys!**

 **But, that's all for me! I hope you all enjoyed and I look forward to the Volume Finale chapter. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it too!**

 **FACT: During the development of Crimson Shadow, I had four Beta Readers by the time I hit chapter five. Now I do not blame them for anything, as I know people have lives, but it actually took two different Beta Readers to get through chapter one, and then a new one for chapter two through four. It was a rough patch for development, and I was wondering if it had something to do with my story or not. Of course I kept going, as you can obviously tell. However, since then, I've had the same, lovely Beta Reader that's been a huge help.**

 **A real quick side note, but I was wondering what kind of facts you guys would like to see? Would you want facts about OC characters that I've made (of course no spoilers)? Or would you want more production-related facts? Or random ones like… I don't know… I like to listen to RWBY music while writing Crimson Shadow. Well, there's a bonus fact for you all. Anyway, if you guys want specific types of facts then let me know! I don't know how long I can keep this up if this story starts running 30+ chapters. It'll come down to "While writing this, I was wearing blue underwear." Though, that is a development fact so, I guess. Anyway – ranting.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **PS. At the time of writing this, it's grey. You know, incase anyone was actually interested.**


	12. Volume 1 Finale - Chapter 12: The Effect

**Volume 1 Finale – Chapter 12: The Effect**

It's been three days. Three days since Ruby last saw you, after she returned from the carnival. You haven't shown up to class, you haven't been in the cafeteria, and you haven't contacted any of your friends. First they thought you were sick, so they didn't question it. The second day Blake dropped by to give you an assignment, but nobody answered the door. Not even Dylan. Now it's the third day, and you're still not in class. Of course by this time team JNPR began to notice, and even the professors took hint of it. Glynda was abnormally distracted during her class today, which made the two teams worry even more. Something happened. Something with you.

Team RWBY and JNPR leave their last class of the day, feeling a distinct lack of your spunk and humour. Even Weiss is concerned, though she'll never say it. In fact, out of everyone, she's put the most thought into your recent disappearance. They all walk back to their dorms as a group, but their normal conversations are non-existent. You're the only thing on their mind, and each of them is coming up with a different theory on what happened to you. During all that theorizing, the two teams reach their dorms.

"Well, let us know if he shows up," Jaune requests, trying to keep a smile on his face.

Ruby nods.

"Yeah, you do the same. Well, see ya guys!" She waves, and the rest of her team gives their goodbyes as they split up.

Ruby walks right to her bed, jumping into it and laying on her back. Weiss sits regally on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor as she thinks. Yang slowly paces around the room, while Blake simply stands by the window.

"You think he left?" Blake brings up.

"No way!" Ruby quickly dismisses. "He would have let us know! He would have let somebody…" Suddenly an idea, more specifically a person, pops up in her mind. "Wait, what about his roommate!" Ruby brings up, making all her teammates look at her. "He has to know where (Y/N) is!"

Blake winces a bit at the thought of Dylan, but she can't deny Ruby's logic. He's the only one who would know your whereabouts. She just prays he's willing to let them know.

"Alright, let's ask him," Weiss concurs, standing up with a purpose.

"Yeah, we'll be detectives," Yang points out, smiling.

"And I thought Ruby was the childish one," Weiss remarks.

"Hey!"

Blake cuts in to bring the group back on track.

"Let's hope this doesn't end badly."

The girls, with their course now set, head to your room. In little time the four approach your door, and Ruby knocks. After a moment Dylan opens the door and huffs at the sight of the girls.

"Why am I not surprised it's you people?" He remarks, rolling his eyes. "What do you want? I'm busy."

"Well, uh, you're (Y/N)'s roommate, right?" Ruby begins.

Dylan nods, then his face lights up in an almost sadistic way

"Oooh, I see why you're here now. You're trying to figure out where he is," Dylan predicts.

"How did you know?" Weiss questions with her brow raised.

"Considering Slater hasn't been back since you came to me last," he says, looking at Ruby. "I can only deduce that you're looking for him. Well, as I just said, I don't know. He hasn't been here in days, which isn't a concern of mine."

"Isn't he your teammate?" Yang brings up, suspicious. "That should make you care."

Dylan chuckles.

"He's nowhere close to my teammate. Now, please, I would like to be left alone. If you want to find him I'd ask her," he points to Ruby, who becomes flustered at the attention. "She went looking for him last."

Blake cuts in front of everyone else.

"Alright, thank you Dylan," she politely says, though her eyes are intimidating.

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever."

Dylan shuts the door, going back to his duties. Team RWBY walks away from the door, and all eyes are on Ruby.

"So you saw him last?" Weiss asks.

Ruby thinks back to that day.

"I suppose so, but he didn't seem upset or anything. We went to the carnival, came back, an- OH!" Once again, an idea comes into her head. "Ozpin!" She declares, jumping in front of the group. "Ozpin needed to talk with him when we got back. He's the last person to see him!"

"Oh, the plot thickens," Nora purrs, poking her head out from the side.

"Gah!" Ruby screams jumping away from her position and into Weiss' arms.

Weiss rolls her eyes at Ruby's actions and the fact she has to involuntarily hold their leader.

"Nora!" Ren exclaims, yet somehow remains calm in his demeanor.

Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren jog to Nora's position, which makes the Nora slip out from behind the wall.

"Sorry, Nora just couldn't help herself," Jaune apologizes, embarrassed for his teammate. "But… it sounds like you have something?"

Ruby nods.

"We're hoping Ozpin will know. Do you guys wanna come?"

"Our numbers will intimidate him," Nora plans.

"Well, we were going to stay out of it for now, but there's no harm in asking around," Pyrrha concurs. "Besides, Nora might follow you again."

"I guess we're heading to Ozpin's office then," Blake says as she begins to walk towards the exit.

The rest of the group agrees, and follows their friend.

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Ozpin stares out at Mt. Glenn, one hand on his cane and the other behind his back. His face has a hint of sorrow as he gazes at the environment. He's also preparing himself for an inevitable question that he will receive from two people. The first is coming up the elevator right now. He hears the elevator ring, and the doors open. He exhales, preparing for the conversation.

"Have we not heard from him yet?" Glynda calmly asks, though Ozpin can hear the worry in her voice.

"Not yet. He was supposed to report-in the first day. I sent him a message as well."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," Ozpin blankly states.

Glynda sighs, various scenarios running through her head.

"Do you think he's just gone dark?" Glynda proposes.

"But why? There's no purpose to it. What could possibly have come up that requires him to have cut communication?" Ozpin counters, attempting to find answers to his own questions. "But… I believe we'll find out in due time."

"What makes you say that?" Glynda questions, leaning forward to make eye contact with the headmaster.

Before Ozpin can answer his elevator rings, and the door opens. He smiles.

"That's why," Ozpin mutters before turning around to greet the two teams.

"Ah, RWBY, and JNPR," Ozpin greets as he takes a seat in his chair, and Glynda moves beside his desk. "How may I help you?"

"Um… Well, there's kind of this thing that you might know and I need your help," Ruby hesitantly answers, not wanting to come off like she's blaming her headmaster.

"And what can I help you with, Ms. Rose?" Ozpin politely asks, waiting for them to say the magic words.

"We've been worried about our friend, (Y/N)," Ren speaks, getting to the point. "From what we know, you were the last to see him."

Ozpin and Glynda share a look, then return their gaze to the students.

"I sent him on a mission to defend a small village," Ozpin reveals. "But… I'll admit he should have been back by now."

"He hasn't been in contact since he left," Glynda adds. "We believe something might have gone wrong."

The students share looks, but Ruby is the one most worried.

"If something happened then we have to help!" She blurts out with no thought.

Ozpin smiles, proud of his student's desire to help their friend. He looks at Glynda and raises his brow, having one of their silent conversations. Glynda nods, knowing that it's the only way they'll get any answers.

"Very well, Ms. Rose. You shall. I'll arrange transport to take you to his mission location, and you can investigate," Ozpin smiles.

"And if he just hasn't bothered to respond, be sure to tell me," Glynda growls.

"What about us?" Jaune asks, taking a step forward.

"There's no need for two teams to go at once. If the situation is bad, then you shall report back," Ozpin looks to team RWBY as he says this. "And you, team JNPR, will aid them."

"You can count on us!" Yang declares, slamming her fists together.

Ozpin smiles at the enthusiasm of both teams.

"Very well. Go to the air pad, a Bullhead will pick you up in a few minutes. Team JNPR, return to your dorms and rest. Any work you have for classes will be delayed until (Y/N)'s return. I only ask you prepare yourself in case you're needed.

Jaune nods.

"We'll be ready, Professor Ozpin."

With that, the two teams return to the elevator and leave. Glynda moves in front of Ozpin, her face drowned in concern.

"Are you sure you want to send team RWBY alone? Perhaps I should accompany them," Glynda voices.

"If team RWBY calls for aid, you'll go with team JNPR."

"I… but, may I ask why I shouldn't be there right away?" Glynda calmly protests.

Ozpin takes a sip of his coffee, smirking.

"Well, if (Y/N) has just forgot to call in and you find out… well… we're trying to bring him back, are we not?" Ozpin lightly chuckles.

Glynda crosses her arms and rolls her eyes at his joke. Ozpin isn't one to make jokes all that often, but he has his moment every now and again. This time he's right, though.

"If he is just ignoring us then he'll be cleaning the cafeteria for the next semester," Glynda huffs.

"We'll just have to see," Ozpin says as he inputs some commands into his scroll. "Honestly, I hope he's just ignoring us."

"As to what?" Glynda questions, swaying her body towards Ozpin.

"As opposed to him being in danger."

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Both teams leave the tower and head towards the air pad. The morale of both are vastly improved compared to an hour ago. They'll be able to find their friend, and see why you haven't been in contact at all for the past three days. Each person has something different swirling in their head with the new information they've received. Now that they know you were on a mission, it changes all their theories. However, one thing they all have in common is one simple question: What happened on that mission?

That answer will be revealed soon, as both teams reach the docking area. A Bullhead had already been awaiting the girls for who knows how long. Team RWBY turns to their friends.

"Good luck, girls. Let's hope nothing happened to (Y/N)," Pyrrha nods, keeping her spirits up.

"Yeah, we hope so too," Yang answers. "But if anything happened, we'll drag him out of there."

"Dragging might not be the best choice of words. That could imply he's very hurt… or dead," Blake comments.

"Blake!" Ruby cries, pouting at her teammate.

"Speculating won't get us anywhere. Let's not waste any more time," Weiss declares, itching to discover the truth for herself.

Both teams agree that it's time to go. Team JNPR waves to their friends as they head back to their dorms, awaiting any news from team RWBY. The young huntresses-in-training enter the Bullhead, close the door, and take a seat.

"So you girls are going to the village?" The pilot asks as he prepares for takeoff.

"Yes," Ruby confirms.

"Hm, alright. It shouldn't take too long."

The Bullhead lifts off and starts its course to the village. The girls strap in and wait for the Bullhead to arrive. Ruby, who already can't stand the silence, decides to speak up.

"Can we get some music or something?" She inquires, leaning over.

"You too? That's what the other guy asked. Geez," he complains. "No, you can't."

Yang starts giggling, which gains the attention of all the girls.

"What?" Ruby asks.

"Oh, nothing," Yang waves off, still giggling a bit. "Just gathering evidence."

"Evidence? For what?" Weiss queries.

Yang humbly smiles, crosses her arms, and closes her eyes.

"I'll let you know when I've got everything I need. It's just a personal case."

Ruby scratches her head, not knowing what her sister is talking about.

"Like what we put our clothes in?"

"That's the suit," Blake clarifies.

"The clothes?" Ruby questions, utterly lost.

"No, you dunce!" Weiss scolds.

"W-Well how am I supposed to knoooow!" Ruby shouts, throwing her hands in the air.

Apart from that rough patch, the ride is relatively quiet and smooth. Blake is thinking the most out of everyone on the Bullhead. She's thinking about you, about Dylan, and even about what Yang was talking about. She's taken a stance similar to Yang, though instead of her arms being crossed they're sitting on her lap. A lot has happened recently, and everything is starting to pile on Blake. The worry of what the White Fang and Torchwick are up to, Dylan's appearance here and what that means, and you're disappearance. It's taken its toll on Blake, and has involved one or two sleepless nights. She clenches her fists a bit. She knows she can't be distracted right now. Her focus has to be on you. You're a friend, and she can't risk your safety just because she can't focus. Everything has to be on this mission and nothing else.

Thankfully time goes on, as it always does, and the team makes it to their destination.

"Hey… I, uh, think you girls might want to take a look," the pilot notifies.

Ruby stands up and opens the door. The Bullhead circles around the village, and the team is greeted by a surprise.

"The village wasn't like this when I dropped him off," the pilot finishes.

The Bullhead lands near the village, allowing the girls to disembark. They stare at the village in awe.

"He… was supposed to defend this?" Yang states.

"I guess he wasn't just being an idiot," Weiss adds.

The group approaches the village, or what's left of it. No building is still completely intact, either having a wall torn down, a roof collapsed, or the entire building being taken down entirely. The grass is torn up, blood splatter on buildings and grass, and the smell of death has claimed this village for its own. The girls stay together, keeping their eyes in all directions as to not get ambushed.

"What'd you think, Ruby?" Yang asks, her voice far more serious than on the Bullhead.

"Split up, but stay in the village. We'll try to find out what happened here," Ruby plans, also more serious.

The girls split up, going in different directions. Blake examines some of the houses, hoping to find somebody trapped and alive. The first one she enters is somewhat intact. The top floor has collapsed, along with one of the walls, but the building itself seems fine. She enters the building and looks around. There are pictures of a family along the walls that haven't been destroyed. A man, a wife, and a child. Blake scans her eyes along the floor, hoping she'll find anything of value. As her eyes glide across the ground, she notices something brown leaning against a door frame. With Blake's enhanced eyes, she easily sees that the cover is made of leather.

"A book?" She whispers to herself.

Blake shimmies her way around the rubble and approaches the leather object. She picks it up, finally feeling the structure of the object. No doubt it's a book, and it seems to have remained in good condition after the collapse. Blake picks it up and begins to read it.

"The village leader, huh? Maybe this'll have something."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ruby and Weiss are going in somewhat similar directions, but they're a couple buildings apart. Not that it's far considering the village is far from a large one. Something catches Weiss' eye, however. She leans down and examines the Grimm tracks.

"These are big. No way it could be a Beowolf or Ursa," she says to herself. "It almost seems like a Goliath's tracks, and by the spacing of the tracks it was moving fast."

Weiss follows the tracks with her eyes, which leads her to look at the hill a short distance from the village. Weiss stands up with the intention to follow the tracks, but something stops her.

"Guys!" Yang shouts, concern in her voice. "I think you should see this."

Weiss and Ruby quickly regroup with Yang, who's standing outside the door to the largest building.

"What is it?" Ruby asks, stopping in front of Yang.

Yang turns to the building, a melancholy feel in her eyes. She huffs, then turns to the building, which has a massive opening at the front, and leads her teammates in. The three of them are instantly greeted by an overwhelming smell of decay, which makes Ruby and Weiss turn away and cough. It's not just the smell they're avoiding, however.

The entire room is filled with corpses. A small group of bodies to the left and right, while one man is lying in the middle. Ruby, who's never seen something like this before, is devastated. All these people, all these innocent people are dead. She's seen Grimm die over and over, plus she's killed dozens on her own, but the sight of fresh corpses right in front of her shocks her to the core. Her fingers won't stop fidgeting, her legs are trembling, and her eyes can't help but look, no matter how much she tells herself to look away.

"Oh my god," Weiss whispers, covering her mouth in horror.

"What happened here, (Y/N)," Yang mutters, shaking her head at the sight.

Moments later Blake joins her team, book in hand, and sees what's laid out for her. She shakes her head, turning away for a moment.

"Oh… I…"

Blake can't even form words. None of them truly can. No sane person could look at this display and be alright with it. Blake slowly walks into the room, looking over the bodies. Yang follows, but Ruby and Weiss stay near the broken entrance.

"Blake, have you noticed it?" Yang calmly brings up, still looking over the bodies.

"Some of these people were killed by Grimm… but…"

"There are gun shots… weapon damage," Yang finishes. "Someone else was here!" Yang shouts, alerting Ruby and Weiss.

"Are any of these people..." Ruby whimpers, almost in tears at the possibility of your death.

Blake shakes her head.

"I don't see him here. Yang?"

"No, he's not here, and he's not the one in the middle."

Ruby has the slightest sense of relief that you're not here, but the thought that all these people are dead and the fact that you're still missing doesn't help her all that much.

"Wait… you said someone else was here, Yang," Weiss begins. "Is there any indication who?"

"I don't th-"

"No," Blake cuts in, her voice shaky. "There is… the weapons… They're what the White Fang use," Blake concurs, ashamed at the fact.

"The White Fang was here?" Yang questions, turning to Blake. "But… so White Fang AND Grimm killed these people? Then why aren't there any White Fang bodies? Wouldn't the two fight?"

Blake weakly shrugs.

"I… I don't know. But…" Blake stares at the bodies of fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, humans and Faunus. "I can't believe… they'd do this…"

"But that leaves a question," Weiss states, gaining everyone's attention. She exchanges looks with everyone before speaking again. "Where was (Y/N) during this?"

Ruby folds in on herself, not wanting to think about what's gone wrong. Yang notices this, and moves beside her sister.

"Hey," she softly says with an understanding aura about her.

Ruby looks up at her sister, a few tears in her eyes that refuse to fall. Yang pulls Ruby into a hug, which Ruby accepts instantly. Yang moves to her sister's ear and whispers.

"I know it's hard. Believe me, we're all going through it too. But you're our leader. We're your team. If you're like this, then what should we do?"

Ruby takes in all of what Yang is saying. It's not often that Yang truly has to play the big sister role, and this is the first time she's seriously done it in a long time. In fact, Yang hasn't done it since Ruby became the leader of team RWBY. She's never had to, as Ruby's learned and remained strong through Beacon. But now, at a time where even Yang feels weak, she's aware that her little sister, the one who she knows cares most about you, needs a little help at this point.

Ruby knows Yang is right. It's what Ozpin spoke of, what Weiss spoke of, and even what she's told Jaune when he was struggling. If she's not at her best, if she doesn't believe you're alive, then what reason does her team have? None, and Ruby can't let that happen. As leader, she needs to be the pillar of conviction for her team.

Ruby looks up at Yang, a strong smile on her face. Yang smiles back, seeing the determined little sister she's come to love.

"You're right. Thank you."

"Any time, lil sis," Yang nods.

Ruby breaks off from Yang and regains her confidence for Weiss and Blake.

"Alright, if he's not here then we need to find out where. Did any of you find any clues while walking around the village?"

Blake pulls the book out from her pocket and displays it to her team.

"This has some interesting entries in it," Blake looks at the corpses around her. "But, lets plan this outside."

"Agreed," the three other girls say.

The team leaves the building and walks to the side of it. Weiss, as she walks, notices the same tracks she saw earlier. They're approaching the building, then seem to go towards the hill. In fact, as she looks around, those Goliath tracks litter the village. At this point it's uncertain where the Grimm started, and where it ended. But, Weiss keeps this in mind just in case.

Once the four stop, Blake begins to read the book in a calm voice.

"It's time. Soon we will need another sacrifice, but the town is unsure of what to do. Our birthrate is down, and sacrificing any more women will make that job even harder. We all know this is the way, even my wife knew before she entered the lair. Perhaps it's now Jasper's time to fulfill his role in this village."

Blake looks to her teammates, who are confused.

"Sacrifices? What are they sacrificing too? Grimm?" Weiss ponders, hand at her chin.

"Is there anymore?" Ruby asks.

Blake nods.

"Yes. This one is the most interesting."

Blake clears her throat and continues.

"Grimm have been stalking our village for days now. Do they know what we hide? Do they know of our protector? We need to get rid of the Grimm as fast as possible, and I know of a way. The Huntsmen of Beacon – Grimm exterminators. They can rid our village of these Grimm, and leave us in peace. Perhaps sacrificing him would appease it for some time, and it could save Jasper for another time."

The group takes in what the journal said.

"Did they kill him?" Yang theorizes.

"No way. Why would they do that then allow themselves to be attacked by Grimm?" Weiss retorts.

"Besides, we all know what (Y/N) can do. I don't think regular people could beat him," Ruby adds.

"So basically, we have a village doing sacrifices, a White Fang and Grimm attack, and we still don't know where (Y/N) is," Blake sums up.

Yang crosses her arms and thinks, her face showing her frustration. Weiss starts thinking back to those tracks. She looks back towards the hill, where the tracks lead. She takes a few steps away and scans the area once more. It's very obvious that Grimm were here since she can see their claw marks that tore up some grass as they ran.

The rest of the team sees Weiss' analyzing, and begin following her as she thinks. She steps away from the village, looking at where the Grimm could have gone, but also mirroring the tracks of the Goliath. As her eyes take in her surroundings, she notices an anomaly. A white and black line in the grass, in-between the village and the hill. Weiss lightly jogs towards it, and the team instantly follows.

"What is it?" Ruby inquires.

Once all the girls approach the object, a realization dawns on them. This thing in the grass. This is your sword. This is Crimson Blaze, but only the sword. The sheath is still a mystery. Weiss bends down and picks up the weapon, displaying it to the group.

"H-His sword…" Ruby mumbles.

Weiss nods, then looks towards the hill. She can easily see a small structure there. Her interest in this location has increased dramatically.

"There are Grimm tracks leading up to that hill," Weiss explains, looking back at her group. "If his sword is midway, then I think he was forced back there."

"Nice detective work, Weiss," Yang compliments, turning her attention to the hill. "So I guess that's our next destination."

"Alright team, lets go!" Ruby declares.

The team all walk towards the hill. The closer they get, the easier it is to see the structure. It's a simple stone template that's nearing the size of a small building. There's something engraved into it, but from the distance they're at they can't tell what it is. Well, everyone except Blake, of course. She squints her eyes, attempting to read what's been engraved in the stone. She can tell it's not English, but she doesn't recognize the language at all.

Ruby notices there's writing on the stone and lightly jogs towards it. To the surprise of her team, she suddenly falls through the ground. Yang instantly bolts to Ruby's position.

"Ruby!"

The team follows Yang and stops in front of a hole that's more than big enough for a person. The girls look at each other, worried of what might be down there.

"We're going down there, aren't we?" Weiss predicts.

"I'm not going to leave Ruby!" Yang shouts.

"I never said we would, I just wanted to hear everyone say it," Weiss huffs.

The girls jump down one at a time, Blake going first, then Weiss, then Yang. Each of them seem to fall a story or two before landing, and Ruby's right there waiting for them.

"Guys?" Ruby speaks, hoping her team has come for her.

"Ruby?" Yang calls out. "Are you here? I can't… see a thing," she complains, waving her hands in front of her until she slaps a back.

"Hey!" Weiss complains.

"Calm down, we're all together," Blake consoles. "I can see perfectly down here and… honestly I don't know how to describe it. It's a stone corridor."

"It's also cold," Ruby adds.

"Hey Weiss, your environment!" Yang chuckles.

Blake persists in scanning the environment. Nobody else can because it's pitch black – so dark that the other three can't even see the tip of their nose. Right now, everything is hinging on Blake, and she's not liking it. Apart from the environment, which is extremely tight width-wise yet very tall height-wise. Blake also notes that the roof where they fell in is now sealed, which means they were supposed to fall into this underground lair in this exact location.

But Blake's ears pick something else up – two things! She can hear breathing, very frantic breathing. It's not coming from her team either, which means someone, or something, is down here with them. It's easy to hear these things, as there isn't much noise in this place. Other than the two sounds, Blake hears the occasional drop of water, rumbling and crumbling of the structure, and the footsteps of herself and her team. It's easy for her to distinguish these sounds, but that still puts her on edge. The noises she can hear from far away are heavy. Whatever's down here isn't small.

"Something else is here," Blake calmly says, checking the corridor to see if something's coming closer.

"Could it be (Y/N)?" Weiss asks.

"It's possible… but I can't be sure. Right now the best option is to try and get out of here, and see if we can find whatever else is down here on the way."

"Let's just hope it's a friendly face. I can't punch what I can't see," Yang voices.

"Alright. Blake, lead us through the corridor, but I want everyone in contact with each other. Hold hands, perhaps," Ruby suggests.

The group agrees and links together, with Yang being at the end and Blake leading the group. As Weiss and Yang holds hands, Weiss passes Yang the weapon.

"Here, you're the one with a free hand," Weiss explains as Yang grabs the sword.

Blake carefully leads the group through the corridor until she reaches the end. Blake looks both ways, realizing that the corridor splits in two.

"Great… and there's sounds coming from both ends," she says under her breath.

With nothing but her intuition, Blake takes a left and lets the group slither behind her. Yang, though she can't see, keeps your sword ready just in case. She'll never admit it, but she's jumpy in this cavern. Though all the girls' eyes are slowly adjusting to the darkness, but even so they're not nearly as reliable as Blake. But even so, they all look around as if they're observing their surroundings.

Blake notices that this corridor breaks off many times at different intervals.

"It's almost like… I think this is a maze," Blake concurs.

"A maze? Why would there be a maze under a village?" Ruby shivers at the thought.

"Sh," Blake cuts in. "Something's up ahead."

Blake slowly approaches the end of this corridor. The moment her footsteps past the wall a hand shoots out from the side and grabs her neck. The force causes her to let go of Ruby, and she's slammed into the wall. Blake winces, eyes shut. But nothing happens after. She can only hear a heavy, fatigued breathing. Blake slowly opens her eyes to see a face, a human face. The eyes are sharp – full of fear and hatred. Dried blood is seeping down from the forehead down to the chin. Their clothes are covered in dirt and grime, as is their face.

"B… Blake?" You doubtfully huff.

"(Y/N)? You're okay!" She happily shouts.

The rest of the group passes the corner and sees you and Blake, though their vision is still imperfect due to the dark. Everyone runs up to you, giving you a tight hug.

"You're alive!" Weiss says as she hugs you.

"I knew you were okay!" Yang cheers.

Ruby, who's hugging you from the front, rubs her face into your dirty shirt.

"I… thought…" She whimpers.

"Yang… Blake… Weiss…" You whisper. "What're you doing here," you ask in a deadly serious tone.

The all release you and form somewhat of a circle around you.

"You've been gone for three days! Everyone's been worried sick," Weiss reveals.

Before you can respond Yang holds out Crimson Blaze.

"And you lost this."

You smile, grabbing your blade.

"Finally… I have a chance… Now, did you track yourselves? Remember the way out?" You bark, throwing everyone off.

"What are you-"

You cover Weiss' mouth.

"Quiet. If you're too loud it… No…"

The five of you begin to her a sound coming from down the hall. It's heavy, forcing dust to fall from the ceiling with each step.

"Damn," you growl, holding Crimson Blaze tightly. "Run! RUN!"

You push the girls in front of you, forcing them to run. They decide not to question you, as an obvious danger is running straight at you. Blake continues to lead the girls, making everyone turn left and right, but you still don't let them stop. You can all hear a beast's huff as the mysterious figure hounds you all down.

 _We're not going to escape like this… I know… but I have my sword now, and maybe…_

"Weiss! Yang! I need you two to create a hole! We're in a maze – multiple floors – but we're only on the second one down. If you can break through to the top, we can get out of here!"

"And how, pray tell, do we do that while running?" Weiss shouts back.

"With time!"

You grind on your heels and turn yourself around, holding Crimson Blaze by your hip and letting the blade lie in front of your face.

"I'll hold him off! You get us a way out of here!"

"But," Ruby tries to argue.

"Don't fight me on this! Go!" You scream, making Ruby almost scared of you.

Yang grabs Ruby's hand and runs with her.

"Come on, Ruby! We have to go!"

The girls bolt down the corridor and take a left, leaving you alone. You can see the beast coming for you, running with all its might.

"Yeah, I know. I'm still here. Does that piss you off?" You smugly smirk, solidifying your stance as best you can.

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The girls leave you behind only to hear the sound of a major collision. Ruby hesitates for a moment, but she keeps up with her group. After a moment they stop.

"Alright," Yang nods, readying Ember Celica. "How are we doing this?"

Weiss waves her hands, forming a glyph above Yang. The glyph turns black as Weiss adds dust to it.

"Go!"

Yang pulls her arms back and starts shooting her weapon at the ceiling. Blake pulls out her weapon and shoots any stray rocks that fall from the ceiling. It takes a few more shots before a hole large enough for all of you to fit through is formed. Weiss allows the glyph to dissipate, then jumps through the hole to the next floor. Next Blake, then Yang. Ruby's about to jump until she hears something. Her eyes now decently adjusted to the darkness, she sees you fly into the wall, creating a crack in the structure. You push off the wall and land on your hands and knees, Crimson Blaze still by your side, and shake your head to get your senses back.

The moment you realize what's happening you roll to the side, evading a massive club from squishing you like bug. You run around the corner and tackle the beast, keeping it away from the girls.

"(Y/N)! The hole is ready! Come on!" Ruby shouts, taking a step towards your location.

"I can make it to the next floor on my own! Go!" You shout from around the corner.

Ruby hesitates in following your order, as your voice just does not seem right. You're far more cruel and cold in your words, rather than the cheerful and sarcastic tone she's come accustomed too. But, she'll have to trust you on this one.

Ruby fills herself with conviction and reassures herself that you'll be fine. She's seen you in action, and you obviously know more about this situation than she does. Ruby turns back to the hole and jumps through it, landing beside her sister.

"Where's (Y/N)?" Blake inquires, a little panicked.

"He said he'll meet us here, so lets make sure we can all get out of here when he gets here!"

The group nods and repeats the plan: Weiss creates a glyph, and Yang punches through the ground. While they do this, they can hear the rumble that's taking place below. Every crash, every scream you holler and every howl the creature makes. It sounds like you two will tear the entire place apart during your battle.

"Has anyone seen what that thing looks like?" Weiss voices, keeping her glyph going.

"I haven't had a clear view of it, so I'm not sure," Blake answers.

A large crash echoes through the halls and your scream soon follows. Ruby's face instantly fills with worry, but she shakes her head to ignore it. You're fine. She knows you're fine. You have to be fine. Yang reloads her weapons and continues to shoot the ceiling. She's broken through the stone, and now is pushing through the dirt to the surface. As she does this, the sounds of your fight drown out a bit, then the echoes become different.

"They're on our floor," Blake confirms from the sounds she hears.

Ruby and Weiss exchange a quick glance before returning to what they were doing. Yang fires off her last shots which makes light gleam down into the darkness. The girls, other than Blake, all squint at the sudden light piercing through the shadow of their confinement. With one last shot from Yang, a decent patch of land shoots out from the bottom and creates an exit.

"They're coming this way. Come on, we have to go!" Blake shouts.

Yang kneels down and clasps her hands together, allowing Weiss to step on them and get a boost to the surface. She repeats this process for everyone until she's the last one left. Weiss and Blake lay on their stomach and reach their hand out to their teammate. Yang bounces a bit, shaking her hands to prepare herself, but her focus is completely thrown off when she hears a loud noise, and sees you roll across the floor close to her.

You get to one knee and lean on your sword, which is implanted in the ground. You're huffing and puffing, trying to keep yourself going as long as possible. You're sweating like crazy, and you feel like your body's going to give out at any moment. But, you're going to kill this thing if it's the last thing you do.

Yang jumps and grabs both hands, which results in her getting pulled to the surface. Yang and Blake lie down and let their hands fall for you.

"(Y/N)! Come on!"

You look back at the girls then down the hall. You cringe at the thought of running, but getting out of the maze would be a relief for you. You push off your blade and bolt towards the hole. You leap off one leg and extend your hand out to link with Yang's. Inch by inch you get closer. Yang stretches out as much as she can to reach you, but it's in vain. The moment your hands are about to link the creature runs into you, charging you right into the wall a ways down.

"(Y/N)!" Yang calls out, but there's no answer.

The monster slams you into the wall, forcing you to cough up blood. It grips your throat tightly, turns around, and throws you back through the same hallway. You roll and bounce a few times until finally dragging to a stop. You reach out and grasp Crimson Blaze as you stand yourself up. A fire is burning within you. You're done with this. You've ran from this thing for days and you're ready to cut its goddamn head off.

You glance your eyes up, through your dirty, messy hair that falls in your vision, to see the red orbs of your enemy. You feel the rage flow through every muscle, every fiber of your being. You run as fast as you can, yelling the entire way. The creature howls back, rushing to you as well. The two of you meet, but you gain the upper hand by ducking a little low and grabbing it by the hips. You burst forward as fast as you can and slam it into the wall with all your might. Doing so, you consequently break through both the wall and the earth, bursting out of the bottom of the hill with such force that you both tumble across the grass.

Team RWBY, who were all staring at the hole, now turn to the source of the sound. They see you and the unknown creature roll across the ground, only to recover and enter a stare down. For once they see this mystery creature for what it is. Massive is an understatement. It's a Grimm, easily identifiable by the black fur and white skeleton armour. The body itself is very much like a man, with legs, a chest, arms, and a head. White armour covers some of the chest, mostly the ribs, and the thighs. Finally a large skeleton helmet covers its inhuman head. Its head resembles something of a cow with large horns that extend forward. But those red eyes still beam through the full face helmet. It twirls its giant, stone club in its hands then slams it into his other hand, taunting you.

"What… is that?" Ruby questions.

"I-I've never seen that before in any textbooks," Weiss stutters.

Yang and Blake stay silent, scarcely believing that such a Grimm exists in this world. It's almost like a man, but with a different head. Never before has this thing been mentioned to them, and they have no idea how to deal with it.

You stare at the Grimm, narrowing your eyes to focus, and ignore the shining light that surrounds you.

"I see you now, you piece of trash," you growl, moving into your fighting stance. "Now let's see if you can fight me!"

You rush at the beast with all your might, and once you get a few steps away, you spin and attack. The Grimm lifts his club to block you, which it does with some struggle. You push on his club, but his sheer size overpowers you and he forces his weapon through yours. He waves the club around his head and swings at yours. You lean back a bit, moving your head so the club grazes your chin. He continues the momentum and brings the club straight down on you. You strafe out of the way, but you unintentionally move closer to his free hand. He grips the back of your neck, lifts you up a bit and slams you face first into the ground.

You cringe at the pain, but you're too exhausted to get moving right away. You slowly try to push yourself up, but the Grimm has other plans. He readies his weapon over his head and goes to slam it down upon you. But his balance is interrupted by a certain blonde Huntress ramming her fist into its stomach, making it stumble back. The beast gains its bearings at glances at its new enemies. All of team RWBY, weapons ready, stand between the Grimm and you.

You finally get to your feet and notice the girls. You run through them, knocking Weiss and Blake off balance.

"Stay out of this!" You scream, running at your enemy with intent to kill.

The girls easily regain their balance but your behavior throws all of them off.

The beast swings its club around its body then attacks you horizontally. You drop to your knees and slide under the attack, then get back on your feet and quickly cut the Grimm's waist. That doesn't slow it down as it swings the weapon around at you as it turn to you. You hold Crimson Blaze to your side and allow it absorb most of the damage, however you are left with the momentum which drives you back a few feet. Ruby speeds in front behind, flipping her body around as she slices the Grimm's back. Weiss and Blake comes in front both sides, slicing through at once.

You grind your teeth at the sight. You don't need their help. They're just getting in the way of you turning that thing into paste. You push off your legs and run at the Grimm. As you run you toss Crimson Blaze up a bit and grab the blade, making you bleed onto it. You then grab the hilt once more and allow your blood to take over the black metal, activating its true form. You rush at the five in front of you, but your eyes remain still on your target. You stab at the air, but your blade extends forward at the cost of your blood. The blade soars through the air towards the best, and consequently, towards Yang.

Blake notices and quickly acts, throwing her weapon so it wraps around Yang then pulls her out of danger. The blade just misses Yang's stomach as it flies into the Grimm's skeletal armour, piercing its stomach. You stop the extension and allow the blade to shrink as you grow closer. You leap off your leg and throw your entire body into the attack, forcing the Grimm onto the ground and with you on top of it. It releases its weapon during your strike and lands right on its back. You pull your blade out of its body and attempt to stab its head, but the creature grips your throat and slams you beside him, then semi rolls over as he plunges his other fist into your gullet.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby shouts as she uses her semblance to reach your location in seconds and distract the Grimm.

One of your eyes are shut in pain and you're gripping your stomach, but this isn't about to stop you. You slip your hand under Crimson Blaze and allow the blood to seep into it again. You look to the side and see the girls fighting it again, going all out.

"Stop… stop getting in my way," you mumble, growing angry at them.

You slowly make it to your feet and rush at the Grimm with no hesitation. With your sword at its maximum, you attempt to end it with one clean attack. You want to watch it suffer, watch it scream as you dismember it one limb at a time, but having it dead is more than enough for you. You lightly jump, land, bend your knees, and launch yourself high into the air. You spin yourself around a few times then propel yourself towards the Grimm. Lucky for them, all the girls have stopped attacking it at the moment, and you can finish it. You grab the grip of your sword with both hands and hold it to your side, preparing your attack.

The girls notice you fly past them like a bullet as you reach the Grimm. You swing your blade at the last second right at its neck, cutting cleanly through the body. However you're going at such a speed that you can't stop yourself, and end up losing your grip on Crimson Blaze as you bounce across the ground. The head of the Grimm slowly slips off and falls to the ground, and the beast dissipates within seconds. You, on the other hand, slam into a nearby tree which stops you entirely. You see the Grimm die, and smile at its demise.

"Not so tough… outside your damn labyrinth are you?" You smirk, knowing you've had the last laugh.

Looking in that direction, you see the girls all running to you. Ruby picks up your sword on the way in one fluent motion to bring it to you. You very slowly and very heavily lift yourself onto your feet only to fall back to your knees. You cringe in pain. Your body is absolutely warn out after these past couple days. But you can't stop now. There's one more thing you need to do.

The girls reach you in seconds, all surrounding you except Yang, who slips her body under your shoulder and helps you to your feet. Ruby carefully slips Crimson Shadow into its sheath before looking at you with a concerned face. In fact, all of them have a concerned look to them. They are happy to see you, there's no doubt about that, but your behavior during that fight, and even your fighting style is absolutely off. You're far more calculated and cheerful in your attacks, you're more cheerful and carefree when not in battle. Right now, you're like a shell to them.

"(Y/N)?" Ruby whispers getting the closest to you. "Are you okay? What happened?"

The entire group waits in anticipation for your words. You slowly gaze at all of them, save Yang, then look back to Ruby.

"I… I… I didn't need your help," you spew.

Ruby's taken back from the comment, along with the rest of her team. You take a step forward, releasing yourself from Yang's grip and going towards the village.

"The… the village. They have to be alive," you mumble.

All the girls share a look, knowing what's waiting at the village. You stumble to the village, then upgrade to a lazy jog. The girls slowly follow, wondering if they should tell you, and what to even do with you.

"He's in shock," Weiss whisper to her teammates. "His pupils… his eyes… he's not completely aware."

"What should we do?" Yang asks as she looks at your back.

"I don't know…" Weiss admits, looking at her feet. "Let's just wait and see what happens. We can't keep this from him."

Ruby stares at you with sorrow. She doesn't want you to see what's at the village, but stopping you might anger you. You're already fragile, but Ruby still wants to be there with you. She wants to be by your side, making sure you don't break into pieces. So she reassures herself that she'll right by your side when you see it. She won't let you be alone.

You enter the village, staring at all the destroyed buildings and blood stains that litter them. As you walk past a building you see a small, white object farther away. You clench your teeth at the memory of what that's from, but it's not what's important at the moment. You need to make sure the villagers are okay. The last place you remember them being is in the main hall and…

You shake your head, just wanting to get there. You turn the corner, seeing the large hole in the wall caused by the Grimm. You pass the last bit of foundation and finally see the inside. Your eyes widen instantly at the sight. Corpses. Corpses of everyone that was in the village – everyone you were meant to protect. All feeling in your body slips away, and you all to your knees in shock, your wide eyes refusing to stray. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang finally catch up to you, and your reaction is exactly what they expected. Yang, Weiss, and Blake stand close beside you, while Ruby kneels down beside you.

"(Y/N)?" Ruby whisper, hoping that you answer.

But you don't.

You just stare.

The middle, the focal point, begins to change for you. The bodies slowly disappear, and are replaced by two different ones. The environment changes and you're now outside, looking at two bodies. Flames are all around you and those bodies. You blankly stare at your mother and father, dead, lying together in a pool of blood. Slowly other bodies start tumbling past the fire and landing around your parents. None of them have faces, but somehow you know them from your home village. They're your friends and family, and they're all dead. The fire slowly spreads past you and towards the bodies, burning them to ash. You want to scream, run to your parents and get them out of there but you can't. All you can do it watch as they all burn away, any hope of their survival dropping to non-existence. The fire slowly dies, and more bodies roll in. This time you know all the faces, as you've seen them so recently. These are the people of this village, the very people whose corpses are littered in front of you. They tumble in, falling on each other into one giant pile. You try to reach out to them, but all you can do is tighten your fists at the sight. Footsteps soon fill your ears, as well as a third foreign sound that accompanies every other step. A sudden pop, the a red concussive shot splatters the bodies out of the way, revealing an orange haired man with a white suit jacket, black pants, brown bowler hat, and a cane. He spins the cane around his finger then points it at you, sizing you up.

"You see kid, the odds have been stacked this whole time," he smile before firing at you.

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" _Jasper! Down!"_

 _Jasper follows your order and jumps forward, falling on his stomach. Your feet seem to glide across the ground as you spin your body around and slice the Grimm right in half, as you stop beside Jasper. The Beowolf's upper body flings off and passes right over Jasper, landing a few feet ahead of him. You grab his collar and lift him to his feet._

" _Get with the others! Tell them to gather in the safe house!" You shout, push Jasper away as you weave out of the way of an Ursa and quickly cut him down._

 _Jasper nods and starts to running, yelling at the top of his lungs. You jump back from the Grimm and land on a nearby building to get a read on everything. Grimm are coming from all over this side of the village, but not all villagers are fleeing to the safe house. Some are still scattering around the village, running right into nearby Grimm._

 _Knowing you can't let them die, you jump off the building, leap off the next, and come down right in front of a panicked villager. You raise your arm towards the incoming Grimm, pointing your blade at it._

" _Let's leave the Grimm slaying to me, huh?" You turn your head back to him, smiling. "Unless you want to take them?"_

 _The villager slowly shakes their head and starts running away. You chuckle and twirl your wrist to weave your sword around. As much as playing around is fun, you have to keep the Grimm at bay. They're coming from all around, and you need to distract them all. Unfortunately you can't be everywhere at once, so you have to calculate this properly. You run at the Beowolf with full force. The best attempts to slash you but you hurdle right over his claw and land on his face. You step onto his snout then jump off it, pushing him into the ground. You soar into the air and read the location of the Grimm. You look to your right, attract your sheath to your hand, and throw it right at a Grimm. You spin around from momentum as gravity pulls you back down. You grip your sword tight and do a downward slash, landing right in the middle of a running Ursa. Your blade slightly stops at its spine, so you place the smallest amount of pressure to snap it in half. You cut right through the beast._

 _You throw your other hand out, attracting the sheath back to you which brings along an injured Grimm with it. A Boarbatusk rushes at you as a high velocity ball, intending to sweep you out from your feet. You roll your eyes at the hindrance and stick your foot out to catch it. The Boarbatusk continues to spin as your leg holds it in place – in perfect position. Finally your sheath and the Ursa come to your location. You grab the sheath and release it from the Grimm's abdomen in an instant. You let go of the sheath and slams your elbow into the same place your sheath was jammed into. The Grimm howls in pain, so you end its misery. You grab the Ursa's throat and throw him over yourself and onto the Boarbatusk. The spinning of its horns cuts through the Ursa, and the sheer size of the Ursa crushes the Boarbatusk._

 _Satisfied with that, you leap backwards with your weapons in hand. You land right in-between two Beowolves and quickly execute a full spin to end them both. You suddenly hear some villagers behind you, running towards the Grimm. A Beowolf hones in on his target and attacks, digging his claws into the villager's stomach._

 _You blankly stare at the villager as the Beowolf sinks its teeth into his neck, officially ending his life. You start to twitch, and your mind starts wandering. You shake your head, trying to stay in the moment._

" _No! Damnit!"_

 _You turn around and see that the Grimm have already overwhelmed the village. It's obvious, as there are far too many Grimm attacking for one person to handle. You could kill all these Grimm easily – probably – if they were all focused on you. But your mission is to help everyone. You have to get everyone to the safe house. You sprint towards two villagers running side by side and grab them by their collars._

" _This way! Leave the Grimm to me!"_

 _You drag them along with you as you return to the innards of the village. You hear a few screams from people trying to run, and the sound of blood squirting out of a body. You stop for a moment and turn around, seeing someone be cut down from behind by an Ursa. For a split second the two beings transform into a Beowolf and a young child. You clench your eyes tightly then start running again. A Beowolf lunges out from the side, so you push the villagers down so the Grimm only tackles you. It lands on top of you pinning you down with its claws. The Beowolf opens its mouth and attempts to bite down on your face, but you rock your hips up and throw it off balance so its snout slams into the ground. You slam the side of your head into its head, throwing it completely off your body. You move your hands beside either side of your head and flip yourself onto your feet. You grab Crimson Blaze and quickly finish off the Beowolf before it can recover. Another Beowolf attempts to attack you from behind, which you easily notice. However, before you defend yourself a small piece of wood smacks against the Beowolf's stomach, not even stopping it. The Beowolf continues with the attack, to which you duck under and slam your fist deep into its stomach. The Beowolf falls closer to you, and you finish it off by kneeing and elbowing its neck with so much force you feel your limbs touch through the beast._

 _You let the Beowolf fall to the ground and look towards the being who tried to attack the Beowolf._

" _Jasper? What are you doing? Get in the safe house!"_

" _But people are back there shooting," Jasper responds, staying low._

" _P… People?"_

 _You grab Jasper and jump onto the nearby building. You jump across a few buildings and land on top of the main hall. You instantly recognize a few of the people, and the one leading is someone you don't recognize. He has a bowler hat with orange hair flowing out of it, covering one eye. He has a white suit jacket, black pants, cane, and a cigar. What surprises you most is that the Grimm are running right past them and into the village._

" _Why aren't they…" You quietly ask._

" _Are they with you?" Jasper curiously inquires._

" _No… no they aren't. Come on, let's get you inside."_

 _You jump down in front of the building and let Jasper go inside. You cut down a few more Beowolves and Ursi as you flock more into the building. But not everyone makes it. Once in a while a Beowolf or Boarbatusk would take one away. Each time your mind changed it to a Beowolf. You don't know what's happening, but you force yourself to ignore it each time. Once everyone is inside you sprint inside, locking the door behind you. The turn towards everyone and see the villagers crying and huddled together. All the families hoping to survive, both humans and Faunus. Adhar and Jasper share a hug before Adhar approaches you._

" _There are people attacking us! Why are they attacking?" He screams, obviously panicked._

" _I don't know," you honestly answer. "Just get everyone to the safe house and I'll-"_

 _The wall behind you crashes open, sending pieces of stone flying into the building and a booming howl echoes inside the walls. You turn around to try and identify the threat but some sort of trunk wraps around your waist. You're picked off your feet and are slammed into the wall face first, then dragged into the opposite one. This happens four times, then you're dragged out of the building and thrown into a nearby house. The house's wall crumble and everything around you falls onto you. You push the wood and appliances off of you and fall forward onto your hands and knees. Your aura took most of the damage, but you're still winded from being smacked around._

 _Suddenly you remember._

" _The people…"_

 _You start running, tripping a bit as you begin. You exit the house and sprint to the building. You run around the side of the building to get to the entrance, but there are dozens of Grimm of various species standing around it. You stop, then unsheathe your weapon._

" _I wouldn't do that if I were you, little Huntsman," the bowler hat man taunts, stepping out of the building with a smile. "I could just kill all the remaining ones, you know. Though if that pleasant man would just tell me what I want to know," Roman looks back at Adhar, who's on his knees with a White Fang member keeping him down._

 _Just then a few Beowolves slowly walk into the building, carrying the few corpses of the villagers you failed to save. They drop them all in a pile, then turn to you._

" _How… How can you control the Grimm?" You ask in awe._

" _I won't claim to know the details, but, I'm not going to argue it. Just don't make any sudden moves, or they… will pay for it," he smiles, pointing his cane towards the hostages. "But, if you really want to know, look up."_

 _You tilt your head up to see a Bullhead circling around the village._

" _A little technology and a lot of time can get you a long way. We just decided to mix wild and domestic animals together," he smiles. "Now, sheath that weapon, or I'll just start firing this in a random place that may or may not have hostages," Roman smiles._

 _You clench your fists and your teeth. You want to fight, but you can't do anything. You slowly sheath your blade, but you stay ready in case you need to move. Roman smiles._

" _Now that's a prize: Slater is submitting to us. You know, I thought you'd put up more of a fight, but it makes sense to me. Cause you see kid, the odds were stacked against you the whole time."_

 _Roman lifts his cane and the bottom pops off. He fires a red concussive shot at you that completely throws you off guard. It hits you dead in the chest, sending you a few feet back. You keep your bearing and roll over your shoulder, dragging your hand across the ground. Roman rolls his eyes and takes a step towards you. Suddenly Jasper bolts off his leg and attempts to tackle Roman. Roman steps back and trips the child._

" _So much for keeping the hostages at bay," Roman scolds as he watches Jasper get back up._

 _You notice what Jasper doesn't, and reach for your sheath. Jasper tries to tackle Roman again, but he fails to notice the Beowolf behind him that raises its claw and cuts through his back. Your body completely stops as you see this. Now, after so many times, you get lost in your own mind. Jasper changes to a young you, and you watch yourself be killed. There was no father to save you this time. Right now, you are supposed to be Jet, and yet you allowed the child to die right in front of your eyes._

 _Only anger flows through you now. You rip our Crimson Blaze and charge at Roman._

" _There's the spirit I was told about!" He chuckles, pointing his cane towards you._

 _The Grimm surrounding you start to howl and charge you, along with the White Fang. You hold your sword like a baseball bat the moment Roman fires his weapon. You slap the side of the shot, diverging its course and sending it into a few Grimm. A Beowolf lunges at you from the side which you jump over, then stomp on his back. You stab its head, then roll off it to avoid an attack from the White Fang. You project yourself forward once the roll is nearly complete, sending you torpedoing into an Ursa. You drive your feet into its face, then flip backwards to avoid another shot from Roman._

 _Now standing in the middle your enemies completely surround you. A Beowolf attempts to claw you, but you cut off its claw, grab it, spin, and shove it into its head. You twirl your sword and hold it to your back, stopping a White Fang from slicing you, then spin the sword around as you step towards him and cut him down. Constant Grimm come at you, and you perfectly counter every single one to hold your ground._

 _Roman rolls his eyes at your persistence, then throws his finished cigar away._

" _Guess I'll need the big guns again."_

 _You twirl around a Creep and decapitate it smoothly, then you hear the ground start to shake. You remember earlier, and have an idea to what this could be. Suddenly a Goliath comes in from the side and rams you with its tusk, then throws you far away from the building. You slide across the ground before flipping onto your back, only to barely have enough time to roll out of the way of a second charge. The beast turns around, swinging its tusk at you. You lean back, nearly touching the ground with your head as you dodge its bodily weapon. What you didn't expect was a supporting shot from Roman. He hits your side, causing you to fly towards the hill and let go of Crimson Blaze._

 _You lie there for a moment until you hear the rumbling sound of the Goliath on the move. You stand back up, shake your hands, and then run at him with full force. The Goliath howls as approaches you, and you scream right back. You leap forward, charge a haymaker, and throw your fist at it. Unfortunately it moves its head, causing you to punch, and break off, its right tusk. However the creature still manages to ram you with its head, sending you flying on top of the hill and smashing into the pillar there. You shake your head as you slowly get onto your knees, but a shadow soon lingers over you. You look up to see the Goliath's massive foot coming down on you. You raise your hands to try and stop it, but that does little against its brute strength._

 _The Goliath pushes down on you, which causes the ground under you to crack and drag you into its depths. You fall on your back into a dark, stone structure under the ground. You roll on your back a bit, still hurting from your battle, but you can feel the red gaze of the Goliath. You slowly get onto your feet only to have them pulled out from under you. The floor you're on opens up, swallowing you even further below the ground, then closing once you're down there. Now only darkness surrounds you. You slowly start to get up and look around, but due to the darkness it's to no avail._

" _I have to find a way out of here. The villagers… I can't let them die too!"_

 _Then you hear a howl from down the way. You blink twice then slowly turn around to see what that could be. It's not any Grimm that you've ever heard. You reach for Crimson Blaze but realize it's not there. With no other choice, you grab your sheath and hold it like a sword._

 _Little did you know you would spend two days like that – hopeless, weak, and alone._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Weiss, Blake, and Yang all watch as Ruby shakes you lightly.

"(Y/N)? (Y/N) please, snap out of it," she softly begs.

All she wants is to see you smile. For you to recognize that your friends are here so you can all go home together. She doesn't like your current situation. You're hurt, you're bleeding, and you're tired. Nothing about you is alright, and you need to be brought back to school for medical attention.

Suddenly you seem to snap back to reality, but you instantly scare Ruby as your face becomes one of pure, yet contained, anger. You stand up suddenly, nearly knocking everyone over, and brush past the other girls.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Weiss demands an answer.

You ignore her and keep walking, your eyes scouring the ground for tracks. You walk to the side of the village where the White Fang first entered, hoping they would leave that way too. Team RWBY follows you, shouting your name to which you don't respond. You have no need to respond to them. They're a distraction you have no time for. Luckily your skills haven't gone away, and you can see Goliath tracks leading away from the village. That's it. That's where you have to go.

Finally you tune back into to the girls.

"Stop ignoring us!" Yang shouts, ready to knock you out.

You stop in your tracks, turning your head slightly so they know you're talking to them.

"I'm going after them."

"What? (Y/N), please, you're in no condition to do anything! Let us take you back!" Ruby pleads.

"Yeah, we can call in JNPR to take care of them," Yang speaks.

"You just need to get back to Beacon. Everyone's worried!" Weiss finishes.

You shake your head, smiling a far more devious smile than you normally have.

"Either come with me or get out. Of my. Way," you firmly declare, making all the girls mentally recoil at your words. "I'm going to find those White Fang, and I'm going to kill them. They can't escape. Not with that device."

You don't even allow the girls to respond. You start sprinting, following the tracks of your rival Grimm.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby calls out, but you refuse to listen and disappear into the forest. Ruby shakes her head, in denial of the whole ordeal. "What happened to him? He was… he was so kind."

Yang places her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"I don't know, but I don't think he realizes what he's doing. Don't hold it against him," Yang reassures, hoping to keep a certain mindset of Ruby's intact.

"We're going after him, right?" Blake questions.

"I'm not sure he won't just start attacking US at this point," Weiss brings up.

Ruby shakes her head.

"No! We go after him. Last time we were sent to find him we failed. We're not failing this time! We're going to find him and get our old (Y/N) back!" Ruby declares with absolute determination.

Yang smiles at her sister's words.

"Couldn't have said it better myself. I'll drag him back if I have to."

"We should probably get moving as opposed to saying we're going," Blake advises, pointing towards the forest.

The girls nod and start running after you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You leap from a tree branch and land on another. Your leg suddenly gives out and you tumble off the tree branch onto the ground, landing hard on your arm. You wince in pain as you roll off it. You're still breathing heavily trying to fill your fatigued body with oxygen. You push yourself onto your hands and knees, feeling a mix of blood and sweat dripping off your nose and chin. You don't want to admit it, but the girls were right when it comes to your condition. But… you don't care. You'll keep going no matter what.

 _My father sacrificed his life for me… if I can't avenge my village like… no… that village… not mine. If I can't avenge them because I'm a little tired, then what kind of Huntsman am I?_

You push yourself on your feet.

 _A weak one. One who can't stand up for himself! I can… I can do this._

You start running once more. Lucky for you, you hear the rumbling of a Bullhead. You remember Roman said that Grimm control device was on a Bullhead. You have to destroy that, and kill all of them. You can see a clearing not too far away. They're there. You know they're there. You grab Crimson Blaze and leap out of the forest, soaring above the forest and getting a quick view of the battlefield. The Grimm are there along with many more White Fang. That damndable Goliath is still there too. Two Bullheads sit at the other side, one with some sort of device in it. That's your target.

You begin to descend to the ground, right behind a patrolling White Fang member. You flip your sword around to an icepick grip and prepare to slice. You cut diagonally as you land, killing the Faunus. You continue sliding with the momentum, spin a bit, and stab one more that wasn't far away. You turn yourself around, bringing the White Fang member along with you, and throw him at his friend.

Finally they realize what's happening – that they're under attack. Grimm start to rush at you, along with a flurry of bullets from the White Fang. You spin your sword around your body to deflect any bullets that may hit you. You duck under a Beowolf claw, horizontally spin over a Boarbatusk attack, and slide under an Ursa.

"Hey! You're alive!" Roman cheers, walking out of a Bullhead. "How… annoying…"

The Goliath starts running at you from across the plain. You're not intending to drag this out any more than you have to. You actually smile when you see the broken tusk.

"You remember me?" You shout. "You missing that tusk?"

Already having multiple unhealed cuts on your hand, you allow it to flow into Crimson Blaze and unleash its potential. Still holding it in the icepick grip, you run at the Goliath. It howls as it swings its trunk at you. You side step and push your sword towards it, allowing the Goliath to throw its own trunk into your blade, cutting it completely. As you're side stepping you kick your foot out from under you and slide under the Goliath as it runs over you.

You look forward and see the Bullhead with the Grimm device in it. You push off the ground and spin like a ball. You allow more blood to flow out and extend the sword. You open up from the ball, showing how much the blade has grown, even making Roman think twice about this. It's far above the tree line. You shout as you bring the sword down, cutting the Bullhead and the device in half. Roman recoils as the shockwave from the explosion pushes him from the side.

"Well, that's not going to end well. I think I should make a timely retreat," he says to himself right before he runs for the second Bullhead.

The Grimm around the camp start return to their senses, seeing the White Fang no longer as allies, but as prey. Panic starts to spread around the camp as a small war breaks out between Grimm, White Fang, and you. But your target's still alive, and that's something you have to rectify. However something aims to get in your way. A Creep rushes you from behind, catching you off guard. Before it hits you its head spontaneously explodes. You look back at it, then around the plain. Your eyes are attracted to a small, red hooded girl with a giant sniper rifle whose silver eyes are staring right at you.

You share a stare for a moment until you realize you still have a Goliath to deal with, and fast. You know you don't have a lot of blood left to keep this up, so you plan one finishing move for it. The Goliath turns around, focusing on you exclusively. You gesture for him to come to come at you, not that a Grimm would know that gesture. He tramples his way towards you. Once he reaches your location you jump back, keeping your distance. The Goliath howls, throwing its front legs in the air to intimidate you. You smile at the reckless action. Goliath's are insanely durable with armour, but its stomach is weak, similar to a Boarbatusk. In the few seconds it's on its hind legs, you sprint towards it, jump into the air, hold your sword directly in front of you with both hands, and start spinning similar to a Boarbatusk. You crash into the Goliath's stomach, continuously slicing it with every rotation.

RWBY, who are fighting off their own combination of Grimm and White Fang, take a moment to see your attack. They've never seen a body move like that or an attack similar to that. It's like an olive and red blur that's driving itself into the Goliath's stomach.

"How is he doing that?" Ruby asks aloud.

"I don't know, but he shouldn't," Weiss answers.

Ruby turns to Weiss, confused.

"Why?"

"He's weak," Blake responds. "If you check, his aura is almost depleted AND he's using his blood. Weiss, you noticed it too. His body is near collapse."

Weiss nods.

"It's true. Ruby, call the Bullhead to pick us up here. We have to clear out the rest of the Grimm so we can bring him back!"

Ruby nods, easily taking orders in this situation. She pulls out her scroll and signals the Bullhead, while Weiss and Blake assure her safety. Yang watches you from the sidelines, not paying attention to the battle around her. She shakes her head and runs towards you.

The Goliath can't fight back against your attack, and eventually you drive it back. You lift it off its legs and push it across the field as you grind into its stomach. The Goliath howls in pain as you both fly across the plain. You release yourself from ball form and finish it with one more slice. You spin yourself around once and cut through the Goliath, going through the beast to the other side. The Grimm disintegrates behind you, and you almost do the same. You begin to lose consciousness as you approach the ground, dropping your sword and slamming against the ground.

You cringe at the pounding pain that's pulsing through your entire body. You reach out for your sword, but your body won't move more than that. You let your arm flop to the ground, admitting defeat. You watch as a Bullhead takes off, and Torchwick is standing on the side. He looks down at you, smiling in victory which makes you want to rip his mouth off. He points his cane towards you and gives a sarcastic wave before firing his weapon. You're surprisingly calm at the incoming shot, mostly because you know you can't do anything to avoid it.

Suddenly brown boots and cream legs move into your line of sight. One moves behind the other and you hear a grunt, a shot, and a bang. You try to move your head up a bit more, but your body just won't allow it. The boots turn towards you and Yang kneels down in front of you.

"Can you move?" She warmly asks.

"Get… Get him! I'm fine!" You angrily shout.

Yang looks back at the Bullhead Torchwick's on, which is already too far away to do anything. You see this and grind your teeth, finding the strength to move again. You push off the ground and topple your way towards your sword. Yang tries to grab you but her fingers just graze your jacket.

You pick up your blade and activate the blood enhancement. You throw your arm forward, extending the blade towards the ever fleeting Bullhead.

"(Y/N), stop!" Yang shouts, running to you and smacking the blade out of your hand. "They're gone! We can't do anything!"

You pause and slowly turn towards Yang, your eyes beaming at her like she's the enemy. Yang holds her ground, staring right back at you.

"You… need to come back to Beacon. I'll drag you back if I have to," she seriously states.

The rest of team RWBY regroup with you both, and they immediately feel the tension. Ruby moves beside you, lightly, and somewhat reluctantly, placing her hand on your back. You look down at her, your anger still lingering in your eyes.

"The Bullhead's about to be here. Come on, (Y/N). It's time to go home," she hopes with her brilliant silver eyes.

You look away from her.

 _He's gone… but… there's someone who knows where he could have gone. But…_

The Bullhead circles around the field, which is clear of all hostiles, and lands nearby. You break away from Ruby, grab your blade, and walk to the Bullhead.

"Fine, let's go back," you coldly say.

The girls all share glances. There's no doubt you're not in the right mind, but you're refusing to listen to anyone. The fact that you're accepting the notion of returning to Beacon. But with the venom still slipping from your tongue they can't help but worry what you're going to do when you return. The girls stay silent and follow you to the Bullhead. You've already entered the Bullhead and taken a seat. The girls enter the Bullhead and take a seat opposite to you.

"Looks like you got him back," the pilot says as he begins to take off.

"Well…. We brought someone back," Weiss whispers.

The Bullhead reaches optimal altitude and projects itself forward. You remain ever silent, a trick you picked up from the days in the maze. You always knew how to remain extremely silent and still during your training, but you've never had to put that to use so much in such a short period of time. Every second was a struggle in that hell. You've never encountered a Grimm that's smart enough to create traps inside their own lair. Hell, the damn thing was using a weapon which is new in your memory banks. But the biggest problem was that it knew the playing field, and you didn't. It took at least a day to memorize the entire place – the cracks, the slides, the secret man-made tunnels that previous poor souls created to try and escape. That place ran at least three stories deep, and each story seemed to have its own design. Floor three has lots of rotating walls and constantly reformed itself using either dust or technology. It was fortuitous at times, and nearly led to your death at others.

The biggest problem about being down there was your lack of weapon. As you demonstrated, you easily dispatched of him once you had Crimson Blaze, and was outside his maze. It was still no walk in the park, but comparing the short amount of time it took for you to fight him then, and the days you spent like a rat in a maze, definitely fuels your point. Then there's the White Fang. They murdered everyone in the village, and even created a device that controls Grimm. Torchwick may have gotten away, but at least you destroyed that device. A small comfort compared to the hell you just faced. What wanders through your mind is why they were there in the first place? What made the village so special that they had to send waves of Grimm and White Fang to attack it? It can't have anything to do with the villagers, else they wouldn't have killed them all.

No, there's something else at stake here, and you're determined to find out no matter how much pain you have to cause. You tighten the grip on your torn jacket and cringe. You can feel the dried, crusty blood running down the side of your face, and even some where your hands are. You look like you've gone to war with blood all over you and your clothes slightly ripped up. Thankfully you can feel your aura replenishing, and your wounds healing nicely along with your body not feeling as sore.

Team RWBY sits silently as well, though not as still. All their eyes, however, are transfixed on you. Partly because you're their friend and they want to make sure you're okay, but partly because you're unstable, and they're not sure what you might do at any given time. Ruby constantly twiddles her thumbs, thinking of how she can cheer you up and make you smile again. She misses it. The difference between the carnival and now is astonishing, and not in a good way. Her heart beats faster just thinking about that day.

But, like all trips, they soon come to an end.

"We're approaching Beacon," the pilot informs.

You open your eyes for the first time during the flight, and the girls notice. You stand up and walk towards the door, clicking the button to open the side.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asks, standing up.

You ignore her and wait for the door to open. Once it is, you see the Bullhead is still a decent height from the school, but that doesn't matter. You take one step out of the Bullhead and fall. Ruby runs to the edge first, joined by the rest of her team. There's another group that notices this as well. Ozpin, Glynda, and team JNPR are all waiting at the docking area, watching as you hurl towards the courtyard.

"What is he doing?" Glynda asks aloud, yet nobody answers.

Ozpin becomes slightly worried, which is evident by the movement of his eye brows. Something is amiss – he feels it. Something happened while you were gone.

You continue to fly straight towards the ground head first, squinting due to the rush of air. Once you get close to the ground. You flip yourself right-side-up and slam into the ground, causing the foundation to crack at the impact. Ozpin and the group begin to approach you as team RWBY's Bullhead lands. The group of girls rush out of the Bullhead and join Ozpin. You, on the other hand, ignore them completely and begin walking with weighted steps towards the dorm.

"Ozpin! Something's wrong!" Ruby shouts, gaining the attention of Ozpin, Glynda, and her fellow students.

"And what would that be?" Glynda answers.

"(Y/N)," Weiss speaks. "He's… not himself. We… well, we'll explain on the way. We have to follow him!"

Everyone doesn't dare disagree, and the girls begin explaining what they saw as the large group follows you.

You menacingly march to the dorms, knowing full well that there's a group tailing you, but you don't care. They can't stop you from doing what must be done. You push open the door with so much force it nearly flies off its hinges. That alone augments RWBY's point as they wrap up the events of their mission. You hammer your way through the halls until you reach your dorm. Instead of using your scroll, you pull your foot back and kick your door open, breaking it off the hinges and sending it flying into your room. Dylan leans out of the way of the door and watches it smash into the wall. He slowly looks back at the door, only to have a hand wrap around his throat and slam him into that same wall. You lift him off his feet, assuring that you're choking him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" You question, voice darker and louder than normal.

"Gonna have to be a tad more specific than that, Slater," he barely speaks, constantly wiggling his body to keep himself alive.

The two teams see this and are about to intercept, but Ozpin holds out his cane to prevent them from entering the room. They all look up at the headmaster and teacher, but neither look back. Begrudgingly, they follow their teachers' lead.

"The village! The device! That goddamn maze! You know what I'm talking about! Why didn't you tell me?" You shout, pulling him away from the wall only to slam him into it again.

Dylan looks directly into your eyes, seeing the fire burning within them.

"Tell you, Slater, about the White Fang's plans? Ha… idiot. But I suppose it didn't go as planned since you're alive," he smirks, trying to stay as confident as possible.

"As planned?" You quietly state. "You knew I was going to be there?" You scream.

"No… but, ugh, I'd have hoped they'd have killed you. Guess they didn't."

"Why were you there?" You scream, changing subjects. "What was the purpose? Was it… was it that thing underground?" You realize, slamming him into the wall again.

"Ah… you knew… so did the villagers, you know? They didn't need it anymore, it was a win-win. Though I… I feel as though you killed it," Dylan assumes, raising his eye brows for your answer.

You slug him in the stomach, making him cough up spit, then crush him into the wall once more.

"You're damn right I killed it!"

"Such a shame… you should have been the one to die," he smirks.

You tighten your grip on his throat, making him cackle.

"Maybe you're right! But instead your pathetic allies decided to murder everyone there!"

Dylan's face instantly changes from one of confidence to one of confusion.

"W-What?"

"Don't tell me 'what'!" You snarl, punching him again. "You killed them all! You locked me in that maze with the Grimm and massacred the entire village! Fathers, mothers, children, human, Faunus, all dead Dylan!" You violently scream, smashing him into the wall each time you list someone.

Dylan cringes at the pain, yet a different pain settles on his face. You don't allow him to talk though.

"I was wrong to bring you here! I thought you might be different when you rescued that child, but I was wrong!" You spin around and slam him into the ground behind you, then slam your foot on his chest. "I... should… have let you burn with that Bullhead," you say as you clench your teeth, the words airing through the small gaps.

Dylan doesn't fight back anymore. He stares up at you, realize the pain you're feeling. It's not frustration, but regret. You're mad not because he could have helped you stop the White Fang, but because he could have helped you save all those lives. You unsheathe Crimson Blaze and settle the tip against his throat.

"I should kill you right n-"

"That's enough, (Y/N)," Ozpin declares with a stern voice.

You look up at him, realizing the audience you've gained. Students from the nearby dorms are watching now too, not that you care, but you're finally seeing the fear in RWBY's eyes, JNPR's eyes, and even Glynda's eyes. You look back down at Dylan, his very face causing you to swell with anger. You sheath your weapon and leave your room, brushing past those who stand in front. Everyone watches as you leave the building, then return their gaze to Dylan.

"Back to your rooms, everyone," Glynda commands, taking a step away from your room. "We'll handle this."

Everyone, save teams RWBY and JNPR, return to their dorms. Ozpin and the rest enter the room with Dylan. Blake moves in front of everyone and helps him up and sits him on the bed.

"Did… did they really kill everyone?" Dylan asks in disbelief.

"They did," Blake answers. "Perhaps now you see… why I decided to leave."

Dylan shakes his head.

"That wasn't part of the plan," he tells himself. "We just wanted the Grimm."

"The Grimm in the maze?" Ozpin requests clarification, to which Dylan nods to.

"Yes. We heard it was ancient, and we hoped to influence it with our device. Get the villagers to tell us where the Grimm was, then leave with it. Nobody was supposed to die."

Ozpin and Glynda share a look.

"If I had known…" Dylan weakly states.

"Perhaps you would have stopped it?" Ozpin proposes.

Dylan looks away from everyone. Blake gazes up at her professors, giving them a look. Ozpin nods and turns to the door.

"Ms. Belladonna, please meet with us after you're done. The rest of you, follow me," Ozpin decides.

"Where are we going?" Jaune asks.

Ozpin stops for a moment, then continues to walk.

"We can't let (Y/N) be like this forever, now can we?"

The entire group leaves, letting Blake and Dylan to be alone. Blake keeps her eyes on the group, then focuses on Dylan. He refuses to look at anyone, and instead keeps his eyes locked on the ground. Blake slowly places a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch.

"Maybe you can help us prevent anything like this from happening," Blake softly says.

"Go against the White Fang? Heh… I'm not a traitor," Dylan responds, his conviction weaker than the previous times they've spoken.

"But is this the White Fang you want to aid? The kind that murders innocents, even fellow Faunus, just to achieve their goal?"

Dylan sneers, getting off the bed and taking a few steps away from Blake. Blake sighs, then gets off the bed herself.

"I'm not asking you to be a traitor, Dylan. I'm asking you to really think about what you're fighting for, and what the White Fang is fighting for."

With those final words, Blake makes her leave. Dylan turns back to the door, watching Blake as she walks away. He shakes his head, trying to clear it from all the information, thinking, and confusion its suffering.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hyaaagh!"

You cut through an Ursa, splitting it in half. You turn around, grabbing the hilt with both hands, and cut the Beowolf's head in two, making it like a fleshy flap that slaps together. You jump, spin, and kick the Beowolf's lifeless body towards a couple more Beowolves. You land on the ground and look around. You've been fighting for some time, going all out against the Grimm to vent all your anger. Killing these Grimm just relieves everything, yet it somehow adds to the anger. You shake your head, grinding your teeth, and look around to the creatures surrounding you. To your surprise, the Grimm aren't focused on you anymore. You look around to see what's grabbing the Grimm's attention.

Your father and mother, overwhelmed by Grimm. The villagers, being mauled by them. A young you, about to be eaten. The massive Grimm that hunted you down, running straight at you. And team RWBY, unable to fight back. You panic, breathing sporadically as you decide what to do. You can't save them all, just like last time. Just like every time. You cut your hand with your sword deeper than you normally do, then shove it into the ground. Your blood starts flowing through the blade and spreading out to the floor. It passes by all the targets, filling the entire area you're in. You wince as you feel so much blood coming out of you, but you have to save everyone no matter what.

"Gh… GAAAAAAAH!"

You twist your hands, ready to activate your attack when…

"(Y/N)!" Ozpin calmly shouts.

You quickly blink and look up, seeing Ozpin and Gylnda standing in the middle of your blood. All the Grimm and people disappear leaving only you and Ozpin in the dimly lit room. You quickly let go of your sword before you go through with the move. You fall onto your hands and knees, sweat dripping off your forehead and nose, and you're extremely tired. Ozpin and Glynda look at each other, then approach you.

"It doesn't matter, Ozpin," you mumble just audiable enough for the two adults to hear you. "Twice… twice I tried to save everyone… and instead… instead I got them killed," you vent.

Ozpin and Glynda stop in front of you. You slowly get to your feet, then fall towards Ozpin, wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your face in his chest. They can hear you sob, and Opzin can feel the moistness of your tears settling into his clothing.

"I don't deserve to be a Huntsman, Ozpin," you cry. "I can't save anyone, even with all the training I've done, and I saved nobody."

Glynda rests her hand on your shoulder, attempting to comfort you. You release Ozpin only for Glynda to softly wrap her hands around you.

"Do not blame yourself for this mission, (Y/N)," Ozpin begins.

You release Gylnda and look up at Ozpin, your eyes still holding tears.

"No Huntsman in history has a perfect mission record; not I, not Glynda, not even your father. We all make mistakes, but it's how we deal with those mistakes and move forward that defines what kind of Huntsman they are." Ozpin leans down and places his hand on your shoulder. "So how will you move on from this?"

You stare into Ozpin's eyes, taking everything he's saying. You look away, your eyes not staying in one place.

"With friends," a young voice answers.

Ozpin smiles, and allows the young Huntress-in-Training to take her time. He and Glynda step back, allowing Ruby to approach you.

"Do you remember what I said, (Y/N)?" Ruby stops in front of you, making sure you're staring at her.

"We… are a team?" You say, still surprised at Ruby's adamant personality right now.

"That's right. We're a team. So when you can't handle something, when you're stressed, you come to me," she tells you.

"And me," Yang smiles, stepping out of the darkness.

"I'll help," Weiss adds, coming beside Yang.

You look behind Ruby and see Weiss, Yang, Blake, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, and even Dylan, yet he's very reluctant, steps out beside Blake. All of them, save Dylan, stand proud before you.

"We're your team, (Y/N). We're your friends," Ruby reminds.

She then moves in close to you and slips her hands around your stomach, hugging you. You recoil a bit, but don't move. You gaze down at her until you warm into the concept. You slowly and somewhat reluctantly rest your hands around her as well. Yang leans back on her hips and smiles. Weiss looks over at her, then shakes her head.

"So, (Y/N), how will you move forward from this?" Ozpin asks, both hands on his cane.

You release Ruby and look towards your friends. You look back to Ozpin and smirk.

"I think you mean… how will we move forward from this?" You answer, looking down at Ruby who's beaming at you.

Ozpin nods at your choice of words.

"Very well, (Y/N). I'm glad you're okay," he sincerely says.

Glynda nods at you, mimicking what Ozpin said.

"Yeah… thanks you two. And thank you, Ruby," you say, turning to her. "I'm sorry. I should ha-"

"Hey, how about we just get some food, huh? Weiss' treat."

"Hey!" Weiss argues.

You laugh.

"Yeah, okay. I'm good with a dinner."

"Please shower first. You're bloody," Weiss points out.

You look down at yourself and realize you really haven't changed at all. You're still rugged, dirty, bloody, and sweaty.

"Meh, it's my natural musk," you joke.

"No. Shower. I can't eat with that smell," Blake admits.

"Maybe… Dylan, wanna wash me down?" You smirk, gesturing with your eye brows.

Dylan snaps, and a large pillar of water falls on you. Ruby jumps back, completely in awe at what just happened. Everyone is, actually. Everyone stares at you, turns to Dylan, then back at you. Dylan begins chuckling, then breaks out into full on laughter. Yang joins in, and soon enough everyone, even Ozpin and Glynda, are entertained at your misfortune.

You shake your arms, splattering water onto the floor. You look up at Dylan, eyes nearly closed.

"You only get away with this because I asked you to do it," you growl.

And the building is filled with laughter.

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A man walks through the destroyed town of Mt. Glenn. He's covered in a brown, hooded cloak that looks like it was lazily put together. However, it covers his entire body, save his shoes. The man stops and looks back at Mt. Glenn.

"It's been a long time since I was here. This is where Jet went missing. He should have stayed missing."

The man begins walking again, ignoring the dozens of Grimm around him. A Beowolf leaps in front of him, growling as it stares at its prey. The man stares at the Beowolf, unmoved and uncaring. The Beowolf somewhat backs away, then retreats entirely. The man looks around to the other Grimm, assuring they know the danger of who he is. Reassured that the Grimm won't attack, not that it would matter as he'd take them down with ease, he continues to walk.

His destination?

Beacon.

 **And that is the Volume 1 Finale! I hope you all enjoyed it, despite it being the length of two chapters. This was just one large finale and I didn't want to break it up into two separate chapters. It's not the longest "Volume" since this is after Volume 1 ends and Volume 2 begins, so 12 chapters seems good enough. I assume Volumes 2 and 3 will be a LOT longer. I have a lot more plans for the series as well, so I'm excited to get to it. However, like all good things, I, along with you, must wait. Well, I must write. You must wait. Honestly I think I have the harder job. Anyway, I'm looking forward to what you guys think. Did you enjoy Volume 1? What do you expect from Volume 2? How could I improve on my writing for RWBY for future Volumes? Is there something you're expecting of Volume 2 and 3? Let me know in the reviews/comments or send me a message!**

 **FACT: Many names I use in this are references to something, as oppose to colour meanings. For example, Dylan actually means "Son of the Waves" which is why I used that name. Aza, his sister is a play on the name Azardokht, which means "Daughter of Fire". Even the village leader, Adhar, is a play on the name Adhvaryu, which is a chief priest who performs a ritual of sacrifice. If possible, I like to add meaning into OC names that I don't simply link to a colour.**

 **BONUS FACT: I actually planned for this chapter to be labeled "Cause and Effect." However, I thought it might be more interesting if I labeled the last chapter "The Cause" and this one "The Effect." Props to anyone who noticed that!**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	13. Voume 2 - Chapter 13: Adorable Overload

**Volume 2 Debut - Chapter 13: Adorable Overload**

It's been difficult since your last mission. It's been a week, but you still remember it. You remember every face being slaughtered by Grimm. Every deprived breath you took when running for your life in the maze. Every dreadful moment of pain as you pushed yourself to the limit to stop the White Fang. At the time, you didn't realize how much your friends cared. It wasn't just one, but every single one of them has been there for you during your recovery – both mentally and physically.

Unfortunately it's currently raining, but that doesn't stop you from standing out in the rain. Your hair falls completely flat, messing with your vision somewhat along with getting your clothes, save your olive jacket you left inside, wet. You stare out at Vale, looking at the flashing lights that go off every once in a while due to traffic lights or some sort of event going on in Vale. You have good eye sight, but you can't see all that detail from so far away. Still the calming droplets that flutter onto your bare arms and face – it's a nice sensation when the rain drop slithers down your skin to the cold floor.

You slip your hands through your hair, flicking some of the water off behind you. You huff, releasing all the tension in your body, then streak your hand down your face.

"Can't sleep?" A young voice speaks.

You turn around to see Ruby in a black tank top with a heart shape design that somewhat resembles a Beowulf, and white pants that are dotted with pink roses. She's holding a red umbrella over her head, protecting herself from the barrage of rain.

You size her up, snicker, then return to watching Vale.

"Nope, just didn't want to," you respond with a somewhat serious tone.

Ruby frowns at your tone, then slowly walks beside you, lifting her arm up so you can both be under the umbrella. You lose feeling of the rain falling on you, and look up to see the inside of an umbrella. You look to your side and see Ruby extending her arm as far as she can to make it comfortable for you both. You chuckle and wrap your hand around Ruby's.

"I'll hold it, if you want."

Ruby's face goes red at the touch of your hands. She can feel the callouses of your battles, which adds a rough texture. Yet somehow they're very soft and delicate as it holds her hand. The slipperiness of the water adds a certain feeling to the whole experience. She's never held another boy's hand before, yet she's really enjoying it now. The warmth from your hand spreading to her slightly cold one. She almost wants to leave the hand like this, so, taking a bold move, she does. You of course notice Ruby isn't slipping her hand out from under yours.

"Is your hand cold?"

Ruby nods.

"A-A little bit. But it's you I was worried about getting a cold. You can't just stand out in the rain, you know?" She lectures.

You chuckle.

"Yeah, I know. I just had to get fresh air, and I don't mind the rain all that much. It cools me off."

Ruby squirms in place, trying to think of something to say.

"So what were you dreaming?" She finally speaks.

You look down at her with a downcast face.

"The village, again. Well, not just that village but… I don't know…"

Ruby shuffles closer to you in order to keep under the umbrella, and to just be a little closer to you. You notice, but don't mention it. You assume it's to keep dry.

"There… there was another village?" She wonders, thinking back on what you've said.

She remembers hearing something about a previous failure when Ozpin and Glynda spoke to you some time back. It's obviously a sensitive topic for you, and she's unsure whether she wants to press it. However she genuinely wants to know more about you to help. She just wants to help you… to know you… to be there for you.

"What, ah… what other village?" She hesitantly asks, quivering in fear that you might be angry with her.

You huff, thinking on whether to speak.

"Look, Little Red, I like you. I do. But you don't need to know all my baggage, you know?" You shrug.

Ruby pouts. She turns away from you, but her hand is still coveted by yours. She looks down at her feet and starts drawing lines with her tippy toe.

"When I became leader, I thought it was really fun. We had laughs, unpacked, woke Weiss up," you chuckle at that one. "And made bunk beds. But… I had no idea how to be a leader, or what it meant. It wasn't until Weiss yelled at me and Ozpin talked to me that I learned what it really meant." Ruby looks up at you with her brilliant silver eyes, which, to her surprise, you're looking back at her. "So… sometimes it's best to listen to others and take their advice. I do, even if I'm the leader. You should too, even if I'm just… your friend," she hesitantly says.

You huff at her words, but not out of frustration. You know she wants you to trust her, and you do, but you only spoke of your home because you were on the edge of your sanity. Plus Ozpin and Glynda already knew about it, so talking to them about it wasn't too bad. This is reliving the experience, not that you've necessarily suppressed those memories all that well, lately. Ruby hopefully stares at you, hoping with all her might that you'll share more with her.

"I lived with my parents when I was young. I… I really liked the thought of being a Huntsman, you know?" You chuckle, blankly staring at the ground. "It was probably because my dad was such a famous Huntsman. He even… you know what? Follow me. I'll show you something," you say, pulling Ruby's hand along.

Ruby follows you without question, happy that you're telling her things. You bring Ruby along under the umbrella, your arms touching the entire time while you both try to stay dry. Ruby looks away from you, her face completely red from embarrassment, and her mind's on fire from your mere touch. Her heart's beating a million miles a minute from the simple contact. You, on the other hand, aren't noticing Ruby's odd movements and red face. You're focused on remembering how to get to where the statues situate.

Unknownst to you or Ruby, however, someone is lazily following you both, unsure about why they're even doing it.

You lead Ruby to the statues, and she gasps at the sight.

"Whoa! I've never seen these before!" She says in amazement.

You bring her in front of the statue of your father and uncle. She stares at it, taking in anything she should. She looks at one of the figures and analyzes the sword.

"Hey… isn't that yours?" She asks.

You nod.

"Yeah… that's my father."

She looks at you, surprised, and then back at your father.

"No way!"

"Yeah… other than Crimson Blaze, it's the only thing I have left of him. I didn't even know it was here."

You both stare at the statue, observing the stone eyes gazing forward. Ruby tries to draw comparisons between you and the statue, but the stone doesn't give specific details. The only thing that reminds her of you is the evident smile on Jet's face. Even as stone, she can see a resemblance between your notorious smile and his. She inherently smiles, then looks over at you. You're obviously deep in thought about something. Suddenly your opposite arm slowly moves to your shoulder and rests on it. Ruby gets serious, not wanting to stay on the sidelines.

"Are you going to finish your story?" She inquires.

You snap out of your trance and look over at her.

"Oh, uh… you sure you want to know? I can almost guarantee that bothering Weiss would be more fun than this," you snicker.

"Well, maybe, but I like spending time with you," she says, then instantly realizes what she said.

"Ha, thanks Little Red. You're not too bad yourself, you know," you smile, nudging her.

"You don't mean that," Ruby waves off, trying to get the attention off her.

"No, I do," you sincerely say, letting your hand slide down your shoulder to its normal hanging position. "You've been the most interested in me. You've talked to me the most, and you're probably the easiest to talk to here. Nobody else has asked me about my home… granted I'll bet the rest of your team is just as curious if everyone heard me earlier."

Ruby shrugs, then looks back to the statue.

"Maybe we'll have statues of us one day," she mumbles.

"What? Like you and I?"

Ruby's eyes shoot wide open.

"No! I mean all of us! Like, teams and stuff, hehehe, not uuus," she nervously corrects.

You chuckle, shaking your head.

"Who knows. I think we could make a pretty cool statue, don't you? Maybe standing side by side, your scythe and my blade, staring at whatever challenge comes our way," you imagine, smiling.

"As a team?" Ruby proposes.

You chuckle, then somewhat tightly squeeze her hand.

"I was thinking more as a pair… but a team works too."

Ruby continues to go red at your actions, which are absolutely platonic on your part. You turn to Ruby and rustle her hair with your free hand, making her yelp.

"Alright, head to bed Little Red."

Ruby wrestles with your hand, pushing it off her head.

"H-Hey! Why do I have to go to bed?" She pouts.

"Because you're a _budding rose_ ," you chuckle. "And I don't want to see you cranky. Now get going. You can even take your umbrella," you smile, letting your grip around her hand.

You spin her around, making her yelp, then lightly push her forward so the rain can fall onto you. She regains her footing and turns to you.

"Come on! It's our two week break! I don't even have classes!" She argues. "Besides…" She gets a little quieter now. "You… didn't finish your story about your home…"

"Yes, but you're young and need your beauty sleep or whatever it is girls do. We'll talk tomorrow, I promise," you say, finishing with a wink.

Ruby huffs, admitting her defeat.

"Fine… but try not to stay out in the rain for so long. You'll catch a cold."

"Yes mom," you mock, smiling.

Ruby stares at you – your smile. She cracks her own smirk then walks away, content with her little adventure outside. You watch as Ruby walks away, hopping along to try and keep her feet as dry as possible. This makes you raise a brow, as you've both been walking and standing in the rain. Why would she be prancing now? You shake your head at the thought then look back at your family. The rain's falling on them, along with you.

"At least your hair isn't messed up. Aren't you lucky?" You remark.

You stay silent, almost hoping for your father to answer.

But he doesn't.

You shake your head, laughing at yourself.

"Of course… what was I expecting?"

Suddenly you feel a presence move beside you, and cool feeling of rain drops halt.

"So that's your father," the voice states. "I've only ever heard of him."

You glance beside you, seeing Dylan with his arms crossed. You peer up, and notice that the rain isn't falling over you or him. There's a perfect square around you both that's impenetrable by rain. You close your eyes and chuckle.

"That's a nifty trick," you compliment.

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"A compliment from you is nothing."

"Still got a stick rammed up there, huh? Granted your insults are few and far between lately." You turn back to the statue. "What did you hear about him?"

"A valiant warrior. Brilliant tactician. One of the most powerful Huntsmen in the world. His only fault? Birthing a pathetic child."

You slowly turn to Dylan, your eyes squinting and your face completely unamused. Dylan's looking back at you, smirking. He shrugs.

"Hey, it's what I heard."

"Glad to know I'm a joke among murderers," you sigh.

Dylan cringes at your words. He wants to fight back. He wants to argue and show how you're wrong, and how humans are the true murderers. Yet… he can't. Ever since last week, his mind has been doubting the White Fang and their mission. Blake hasn't been helping this either – showing him the evident horrors they've committed. That isn't how he was introduced to the White Fang. That isn't what he fought for. What did he fight for? The death of humans? Justice? Equality? Peace? He only knew that peace would come when all humans were killed. That's all he was told. But was that his beliefs? His true beliefs? They weren't once.

"No, you're simply a joke among everyone," he smirks.

You smile, happy he's participating in the mindless jabs.

"Mind answering how the White Fang knows me so well?" You ask.

Dylan exhales, closing his eyes and thinking.

"I can't. But… I can repay you."

"Repay me?" You repeat, thrown off by the notion of Dylan being indebted to you. "How? For what?"

Dylan remains ever calm, staring at the statue or Jet and Harrier.

"I need to know why those people were murdered," he begins, which makes you wince at the memory. "So… I have a way we can find someone who'll have answers." He fully turns to you, and you do the same to him. You stare each other directly in the eye, not flinching by any means. "There's a train that will pass through Vale carrying prototype Atlas military equipment. I was supposed to lead that, but obviously that's out of the question. Thus, there's only one person they would replace me with. We're going to get on that train and find her."

"You realize I'll neutralize any White Fang I encounter? I can't let them steal military gear."

Dylan nods.

"I understand. This is how I repay you. I couldn't help you save those innocents, but this way I can help you save others. As long as you don't kill any of them."

You nod, a true purpose coursing through your veins. This is how you could repent for not saving the village. At least there's one you'll be able to make up for.

"Alright, Dylan. When does this all go down?"

"Tomorrow. I have to dig up a little more information, so be ready after breakfast."

You give him a quick nod.

"Right. Are you going back to the dorm?"

"I am. Are you?"

You shake your head.

"Nah, I wanna stay out here for a bit longer."

Dylan watches as you face the statue once more. He smiles, shakes his own head, and begins to walk away.

"I never knew my parents either," he whispers just loud enough for you to hear.

You turn your head to the side, acknowledging what he said. You say nothing back, and Dylan doesn't care about that. He simply needed to say that to you.

Soon enough you feel the rain fall onto your body. A cool relief washes over you as water hits your being. You let all your collected air out, pushing a few rain drops off course as you do so. You look up at your father, imagining what he would say if he saw you. Be proud? Disappointed? You have no idea. You move in between your father and uncle, then pull out Crimson Blaze, turn around, and point the blade in the direction they're facing, imagining yourself standing with your family to fight some sort of threat.

You chuckle, shake your head, and let your body slouch. Your sword droops towards the floor, dangling with your arm.

"Jeez, I must look like an absolute goof. Maybe I can get Ozpin and Glynda to pose with me," you snicker.

From far in the distance, Ruby watches your actions. She frowns at the sight, knowing that you must miss your father – your family. She moves behind the pillar and sighs, then moves her hand over her chest. Her heart hasn't stopped its accelerated beating the whole time she's been with you and watching you. It isn't even like her to watch someone from afar, but she was worried about you.

"Why is he on my mind all the time? Is it… I think I have to talk to Yang – no! She'd make fun of me! Weiss?" Ruby laughs at the thought. "Maybe… Blake? Yeah, Blake should know something!"

Ruby realizes what she has to do tomorrow when her teammate is awake. With a nod of determination, Ruby rushes off to her room and out of the rain. Not a minute after you walk past that very same spot, on the way to your dorm.

 _Is Dylan playing me? Leading me into a trap? I can't tell. He accepted my apology after I yelled at him, and he's been far more passive about me than ever before. Maybe I did make the right decision. Maybe I was right about him._

You approach the dormitories and open the door.

 _Still, the nagging feeling of being walked into a trap isn't going away. There's a massive opportunity to lure me into the middle of the White Fang and… well…_ _ **attempt**_ _to capture me. I suppose all I can do is go with him and try. For now, I'll place my faith in him._

You make it to your dorm and enter. Dylan is lying on his bed, eyes closed, attempting to sleep. You toss your sword in the corner and look down at yourself, dripping water everywhere. Dylan opens his eyes and lifts his head to see you.

"One second."

He throws his hand towards you then focuses a moment. Not long after all the rain slowly levitates off of you in small drops. You can feel your hair, clothes, and skin become dry as the water formulates into one ball. Dylan then moves his hand towards the bathroom, forcing the water ball to levitate to the bathroom and splash in the shower.

"Seriously, that's actually awesome," you genuinely laugh.

Dylan shrugs before laying back down.

"It has its uses."

You jump into bed and get comfortable, not even bothering to throw the covers over you. You almost instantly drift off to sleep.

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"You failed to find the Grimm?" Cinder growls, her eyes glowing bright as she marches towards Roman.

Roman slowly backs up, nervously laughing. He was intending to keep Cinder out of the loop on what happened, which he succeeded in doing until Aza, who was the one calling the shots for that operation, decided to tell her. Thus, Roman is thinking how to save his own skin from being scorched off his body.

"H-Hey, don't look at me. It's not my fault that Slater brat interfered!"

"I wouldn't blame Roman for it," a third voice speaks.

Both Cinder and Roman look towards the door behind Cinder. A hooded figure saunters into the room, his footsteps echoing through the building.

"Talk about a save," Roman huffs.

"You can't expect some Grimm and a handful of White Fang to take him down. Evidently he can kill Grimm as old as that one," it argues for Roman.

Cinder becomes more relaxed, evident by her eyes and clothes dimming.

"Ah, you finally made it. Finish your 'business'?" Cinder asks, her voice changing from threating to seductive as she approaches the man.

"Is that a real question? Of course I was successful," the main says with distain. "It seems _you're_ the one having trouble."

Cinder squints her eyes at the figure ahead of her.

This man, he was different. He was the fourth person she recruited, and it was a more difficult time than fighting Amber, even though, at the time, she had some of the Maiden's powers. This man was still more than a match for her, and only agreed to aid them for his own selfish reasoning. He's not here because he believes in her cause. He's here because he's getting something out of it. He's very much like Roman, except he's far more of a threat if he decides to no longer take part in her plan. Still, from what she can tell he has no plans to leave just yet. She remembers his only condition to join her. A simple request, yet one she could not fulfill at the time.

"I'll help you, if you lead me to a challenge."

She wasn't a challenge for him at that time. She's hoping that when she attains the full power of the Fall Maiden, she'll be the opponent he's looking for. But from what she's gathered, he's interested in one single man. (Y/N) Slater. Whenever a challenging opponent comes up in conversation, he always refers back to you. This somewhat irritates Cinder, as she believes herself far superior to a simple student such as you. But one more irritated than Cinder is Aza. For a reason Cinder still isn't quite sure of, Aza bores a true hatred against you and the Slater name. Cinder has a theory that Adam Taurus is the one who placed that inside Aza, but that's just a theory.

"I am doing fine, thank you. Everything is under control," Cinder turns to Roman, her eyes shining bright. "Isn't it, Roman?"

"Hehe, yeah, of course. But why do you have to keep wearing that creepy hood, huh? We're in doors, you know?"

"And why do you have a cane when you can walk just fine?" The man shoots back. "Just focus on building a new machine, and actually perfecting it this time. I'll do my part when the time comes."

The man approaches a nearby table and sits down on a chair. Cinder strolls close to him and sits on the table.

"You heard the man, Roman. Get to work."

"Hey, my boys are collecting the last bit of dust we need, _and_ Aza's about to get those suits you wanted. Everything is fine, stop worrying," Roman confidently says, waving off Cinder in a desperate attempt for bravado.

"I'll accompany your men with their robberies to ensure no Huntsmen interfere," the man volunteers. "It'll keep me slightly entertained while I wait for my chance."

He stands up and begins walking out of the building.

"Where are you going?" Cinder asks.

"To do your job," he quickly fires back, closing the door behind him.

Roman has to hold in a laugh, as it's precious to him how the powerful Cinder is so easily fought by this man. It's something Roman can't do without risking some vital areas, but he loves it all the same.

Cinder grinds her teeth in irritation. She hates him. She loves him. He's invaluable yet a total bastard. Once she gets her full power, she'll give him the fight of his life, and end him for good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm glad you came out with me this time around, (Y/N)," Yang huffs as she keeps a steady jogging pace.

"Well, it was fun the first time, and I might as well keep my stamina up," you reply, keeping your breathing steady. "Plus, I always love spending time with you," you pleasantly smile, causing Yang to chuckle.

"You're not too bad yourself, hot stuff. Good to work off that stress of the day, not that there's much to worry about lately."

"No Grimm to kill," you smirk.

You can tell the lack of adventuring and missions is annoying Yang. From the few weeks you've known her, you've gathered she's the wild one who likes to fight and be in crazy situations. Sounds somewhat like yourself, though you're not one for parties. Fights, on the other hand, is a fundamental part of your life. Crazy situations are your shtick too.

But at the moment you're completely content. You had a surprisingly good sleep, even when Yang hammered on your door to run with her. It was later in the morning than last time, but you didn't mind at all. The only difference is the sun is brighter, and more people are loitering around the school grounds. Some are even jogging at their own pace, while others stare at you and Yang. All the guys stare at Yang, of course, because she's infamous for her beauty. So much so some people call her a "yellow beauty that bats gold" which you assume refers to her winks, but that's just an assumption. You can tell that those same men are absolutely jealous that you get to run with her, but you ignore them completely to have a good time with your friend.

"We're not going to race and destroy a pillar again, are we?" You chuckle, eying the woman beside you.

Yang huffs and smiles.

"Of course we are. I mean the two of us have to destroy SOMETHING. Remember the club?"

"Do YOU remember the club?" You fire back, still laughing.

"Ah, who asked you," she waves off.

"You did!"

You both end up laughing at the situation and the memory. Yang really only remembered punching someone at the club, then trying to make-out with you. You remember the whole thing, but only her parts are the funny ones. Your memories are the mature, adult, take-care-of-drunk-friend ones.

"So, Ruby's been dropping by your dorm more often," Yang speaks, breathing slightly heavier than normal.

You roll your eyes up a bit, thinking on her words.

"Yeah… she has. I'm not complaining. She's great company," you honestly answer.

Yang looks at you for a brief moment before turning her head in front to see where she's jogging.

"Ah, so you like her?"

"I'd say so, yeah. Why? What's with these questions?"

Yang sighs in disappointment. She knows you didn't mean you romantically like her when you spoke, and that somewhat disappoints her. Yang has a theory – one she's been developing with Weiss, who, to Yang's surprise, has been very active in this endeavor. Yang has a feeling she has her own reasons for this, but she won't turn away help. She knows there's something between you and her sister, and as Ruby's older sister, she has to know and protect her sibling.

"Oh nothing," she sings. "Just making conversation," and finishes with a cute smile.

You accept her response and keep pace with her.

"You seem to bring up Ruby a lot with me. Is there something I should know? Is she okay?" You wonder, genuinely concerned the young one.

"Oh, she's great," Yang smirks. "Weiss says she's glowing lately."

"Oh, so lady talk. Please spare me from that, Yang. I'd rather you punch me in the-"

Suddenly Yang extends her fist, clocking you right in the jaw unexpectedly. You feel your jaw nearly disconnect from your skull, which is flying opposite to Yang. Your body follows your head, spinning around until you crash into the ground. Students around back away, hands over their mouths and shock consuming their faces. You hold your jaw.

"OwwwwWWWWWWW!" You shout, getting louder the longer you shout. You sit up and look to Yang, who's crying from laughter. "What was that for?" You scream.

"You, ha, you said you'd ra-rather me punch you," she laughs, unable to speak without laughing.

"It was a joke!" You argue, rubbing your cheek as you get to your feet. "I swear, you hit harder than a train!"

Yang casually walks towards you, hands on her hips and her chest raising and falling faster due to fatigue.

"It's all muscle, my friend. Maybe you should come with me when I seriously work out. Or, we could train together," Yang offers, before she kisses her index and middle finger then taps them on your wound.

"Wow, feels all better now," you sarcastically remark. "But that actually sounds good. I need some work on my hand-to-hand, and that's basically your shtick. We should train together soon."

"Well," Yang starts, swaying her hips with a smile. "How about today?"

You think back to Dylan, and how he still hasn't told you whether or not you're leaving yet. Still, he's bringing you along to do something important, and you can't miss it. The thought of telling Yang and the others crosses your mind. They, along with Ozpin and Glynda, have been enforcing the thought of team building for you. You understand why, given your previous mission, but you have Dylan by your side. As long as he doesn't double cross you, that's still a form of team building.

Coming up to a conclusion, you shake your head.

"No, I can't today. I have somewhere to be," you politely decline.

"Aw, that's a shame. I wouldn't mind seeing you even more sweaty," Yang casually flirts.

"The feelings mutual, so how about we finish this little jog of ours?"

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Ruby kicks her feet aimlessly in the air as she lays on her bed. Her hands are behind her head, resting between her hair and hood. She's impatiently waiting as Weiss collects some materials for whatever Weiss-y things she does. Blake is lying in her bed, back against the wall, reading a book. All Ruby wants to do right now is talk to Blake, and ask her for advice. She knows for a fact Weiss is leaving, but she's taking forever to do so.

Weiss packs the last bit of her dust into her pouch and huffs.

"I will see all of you later. Try not to wreck the room in my absence, please."

"I'm here, don't worry," Blake calmly answers, still reading the words of her book.

Weiss nods then leaves the room, closing the door behind her. In a blinding flash of rose petals, Ruby moves from her bed right to the edge of Blake's, catching the Faunus off guard.

"Ruby? What're you doing?" Blake exclaims.

"I need your help," Ruby states, her silver eyes ever serious.

Blake can tell this isn't some trivial matter. She places a bookmark on her page and sets it atop the bookshelf.

"Okay… what do you need?"

Ruby's seriousness starts cracking when she thinks on the subject. She starts poking her fingers together, as her eyes drift to the bed. A slight shade of pink shows itself on Ruby's pale complexion.

"Um… well… you have to promise not to tell Yang!" Ruby shouts.

Blake nods.

"That depends on what the problem is," Blake answers honestly.

Ruby sighs, attempting to build up the courage to ask her question. She takes in a huge amount of air and lets it all out.

"What does it mean if I can't stop thinking of someone and whenever they're around my heart starts beating really fast and it's kind of uncomfortable but nice at the same time so I want to be around this person but I don't know what it means just that I want to be with this person and help them and make them lean on me as I lean on them I think I don't know I can't think straight right now!"

Ruby breaths heavily after letting all of that out. Blake blinks twice in awe, piecing together what Ruby just said.

"Ruby… are you having boy trouble?" Blake lightly chuckles.

Ruby huffs and falls back on Blake's bed.

"I don't know! It is a boy but… I never liked boys! It's so gross. But… I read those adventure novels about how people like each other and they get these weird feelings like how I'm feeling."

"So you like a boy?" Blake clarifies.

"I… I… don't know," Ruby admits. "I don't know what it means. I just feel this way."

Blake looks away, pondering Ruby's predicament. This is definitely not what Blake was thinking when Ruby asked for her help, but it's obvious that the young girl doesn't know how to cope with romantic feelings of any kind. How could she at her age?

"Ruby, feelings are very hard to comprehend, even for me, Weiss, or even Yang. But the only person who can answer that question is you. So… do you like this person?" Blake asks.

Ruby lifts her body off the bed and stares into Blake's orbs. She looks down at the ground and sighs.

"If you don't know," Blake speaks. "Then takes some time to figure it out. Once you do, you'll know whether to act on those feelings or not."

Ruby slowly nods, accepting Blake's response.

"Yeah… alright…"

Blake leans slightly closer and places her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"I know you might not want to, but I think this might be something to ask an older sister." Ruby's eyes instantly open wide, scared of the thought. "But," Blake continues. "If you need to talk to anyone about this… I'll be here."

Ruby nods at Blake.

"Thanks Blake. I think I'm gonna go for a walk and… think."

Blake gives Ruby her own nod, then picks up her book. Ruby hops off Blake's bed and saunters out of the room, her mind in a completely different world than Remnant. Ruby walks down the hallway and turns to leave the building. After a short walk she reaches the door and embraces the warm outdoors. Birds are singing as they fly over the school. The chit-chat of other students makes the most noise, yet the exact topic of their conversations are a mystery to Ruby. She lazily slogs her through the campus, but her eyes instantly lock onto two people. You and Yang are standing together. She's laughing while you rub your cheek. Ruby smiles at the sight of your joy. Her heart starts beating faster at your smile, and the pure joy emanating from you.

Ruby quickly shakes her head, trying to get her normal mindset back. She turns and walks away from you and her sister. She needs to be away from everyone. She needs to think.

Yang winks at you as she goes back to her jog. You stretch a bit, and as you turn you see Ruby walking away. You stare as the hooded Huntress is walking at a dreadfully slow pace, like she's sad. You raise your brow at her actions, but you don't have the time to pursue her.

"Come on! We're not done yet!" Yang shouts, jogging in place.

You acknowledge Yang, turn to Ruby, and then back to Yang. You huff, slightly frustrated at the situation yet not willing to dwell on it. You're still committed to finishing your activity with Yang, so you begin jogging to her.

"Yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on."

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Dylan's eyes glaze over his scroll, taking in every detail he can. He's been hanging over these plans for hours, making sure he has everything right so nothing will surprise him or you. The attack will begin soon, which means he's got to find you and head out. Dylan runs his fingers along his scroll one last time to assure himself that he has every detail memorized. He's so focused, in fact, that he fails to notice a certain Faunus rest against the door frame of his room.

She crosses her arms and watches the gangly Faunus hover over his scroll.

"Waiting for a message?" Blake teases, though her tone is serious.

Dylan instantly shoves his scroll in his pocket and turns around. Blake has a smile on her face as her shimmering eyes watches him. By the way he reacted, it would very much seem he was waiting for some sort of message – from a girl, most likely. This could work to his advantage to deter Blake from his true intentions.

"You… could say that," Dylan responds, giving Blake a small smile.

After the incident, Dylan has become slightly more open to the other students. But the one who he's gotten closest with is his fellow Faunus, Blake Belladonna. They bicker often about the White Fang and Dylan's own goals, but Blake saves that conversation for when it counts, and recently they've been talking more and more with simple conversation. The more Dylan talks to her, the more her true personality, and even motives for leaving the White Fang, come out. She's interesting, to say the least, if slightly damaged. She hasn't truly opened up to him, not that he's asked her to. But he can't deny the connection that has developed between the two. Likely because the only other Faunus Dylan knows of that Blake talks to is Velvet, though she's often with her own team. He's not complaining, of course. She's his favourite person at Beacon right now, with you… still being an annoyance to him, albeit a welcome annoyance.

Blake lightly pushes herself off the door frame and wanders the room.

"I see. Are you going to be busy with this lady?" Blake poses.

"No. Unfortunately I have… other things to do tonight," Dylan answers.

Blake's eyes fill with intrigue at the vagueness of his answer.

"Oh? Like what?"

Dylan instantly answers, having taken the few seconds to develop a full plan.

"Slater is dragging me somewhere stupid. I'm unsure where, which has me worried. I doubt it's anywhere pleasant."

Blake chuckles.

"He has his moments, but he has better taste than Yang. Remember the club story?"

Dylan smiles at the thought.

"Yeah, I remember. Listen, have you seen Slater?"

Blake thinks for a moment.

"Well, last I heard he and Yang were jogging, but that was hours ago. Weiss saw him walking around, so I'd say he's likely at the docking area. He likes that place, for some reason," Blake explains.

Dylan nods in thanks.

"My thanks, Blake. We'll speak later?"

"Of course."

The two walk out of the room, and Dylan locks it behind him. They walk down the hall until Blake takes a step down a branching hallway.

"Have fun," Blake snickers.

"I'll… try," Dylan responds, hoping that his mission will hold some more success and "fun" rather than the opposite.

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You stand at the edge of the docking area, watching over Vale. The wind is rushing against you, flinging your hair back, making your jacket fly. It's relaxing, and also somewhat entertaining to you. You're simply keeping yourself at ease until it's time to leave. When it comes to the White Fang, you have little to fear, but the waiting is killing you. You've been in desperate need for a distraction lately, mostly to get your mind off of what happened the week prior.

You start to hear the clicking of heels, but you continue to stare off into the distance. The sounds stops as a body rests beside you. You glance over at the blonde teacher beside you: Glynda Goodwitch. That damn riding crop is still with her, but the hand that's holding it is covered by her other hand, which are sitting against her stomach. She's standing as regally as ever beside you.

"Glynda," you greet with a sly tone. "Come to look as awesome as I do? The wind blowing against me really gives me a heroic look, wouldn't you say," you chuckle.

"Still joking around, I see," Glynda shames, shaking her head. "Still, even if you jest I can't help feeling concerned about you."

"Concerned?" You repeat, turning your head to her. "About what?"

"Your condition. How's your sleeping been?" She asks.

You huff, turning back to see the sights.

"Terrible," you admit, allowing your shoulder to fall. "I haven't really slept since then – constantly getting up during the night. Too many… nightmares… Twisted memories…" You speak, slightly twisting your body away and crossing your arms uncomfortably.

Glynda watches you with soft eyes. She's been worried about you this entire time, but she'd has little time to check in on you. Ozpin has decided to adopt the "wait and see" approach after the resolution that came after. She has no doubt that Ozpin knows you're having troubles sleeping, but he's refusing to act upon it as of now. Why? This Glynda does not know, but she trusts Ozpin will do what he thinks is right. Right now, Gylnda is doing what she thinks is right, and that's being there for you. For Jet's child. For her friend. For who she… may… consider…

"It shows. You've been less sarcastic, I hear," Glynda says in an attempt to lighten the mood.

You huff into a smile.

"Who said that? The teachers? You really want me to be a nuisance?" You ask, raising a brow.

"Of course not, but at least your interruptions provide us with a chuckle every now and then."

"Huh… glad to know I'm not that much of an annoyance. Always thought the professors hated me. Especially Port."

Glynda shakes her head.

"No, Port loves you. You're one of the few students who actually participates."

"If by 'participates' you mean ask about his stories, then sure. We'll go with that," you joke.

You and Glynda both chuckle. It soon ends and a silence surrounds you. Glynda clears her throat and speaks.

"Listen, (Y/N), you have my scroll number, correct?"

"I think so… I don't even remember putting it there, to be honest," you sheepishly admit.

"Well," Glynda continues, ignoring your last comment. "If… if you ever need to talk to someone about it… when you have those nightmares… I'll be there," Glynda reluctantly offers, trying to remain as professional as possible yet failing miserably.

You slowly nod in acceptance.

"Alright… maybe I will. We can both stare at the statue of dad together."

Glynda tenses up when you mention that, and you notice. Her grip on her riding crop becomes tighter than ever.

"What? You don't like the statue?" You inquire.

"I remember when Harrier and Jet posed like that," Glynda reveals. "But… well, you could say I have a new perspective on that statue."

You look at Glynda, who's evidently a little shaken at something that you're unaware of. It has to have something with your father, but what? Unfortunately you don't have the chance to ask.

"Slater!" Dylan calls out.

You and Glynda turn to face him. Dylan has his arms crossed as he watches you. He flicks his head behind him. You smirk.

"Listen, Glynda, I have to go. I'll… talk to you later?"

Glynda smiles, then gives you a short bow with her head.

"Of course. I have duties to attend to."

Glynda paces away from you, leaving you and Dylan to yourselves. Dylan slowly approaches you, but continues walking to the very edge of the grounds. You dramatically shrug, then approach the edge beside him.

"So we're ready?"

"Are you?" Dylan rebuts.

"I'd say so, yeah. Maybe a candy bar or something would help, but, you know, can't have everything," you snicker.

Dylan ignores your joke.

"Alright. Well, since we can't get there with a Bullhead without-"

"Yeah, how are we getting there?" You cut in.

Dylan huffs.

"I was explaining that."

"Heh, right. Continue," you slightly wave your arm in front of you to encourage him.

Dylan clears his throat.

"Well, since we can't take anything without being tracked, we'll have to improvise."

"I'm great at improvising, but I can't fly, Dylan. How are we…"

As you speak Dylan lifts one arm forward and closes his eyes. Once your voice drifts off you see a small platform rise from the edge, completely consisting of water. It's not in any specific shape – constantly shifting in size thought consistently being large enough for at least five people. Dylan opens his eyes and huffs.

"Get on. I would rather not use all my aura by the time we get there," he advises as he walks onto the water.

You watch as he steps on it without slipping through the liquid. You reluctantly take a step and tap the water with the tip of your shoe. Dylan rolls his eyes.

"Get on the platform!"

"Give me a minute!" You argue.

You gaze back down at the platform and attempt to place your foot flat on it. Suddenly a hand made of water sprouts from the middle and grasps your torso. It forcefully pulls you onto the platform, making you fall flat on your face.

"HEY! What was that?" You shout, instantly getting onto your feet.

"You were taking too long. Now stop moving so much. It'll take us a few minutes to get there."

The platform starts to soar into the air, a decent distance above Beacon, and only slightly above Ozpin's tower. It starts zooming forward extremely fast, though neither of you seem to be affected by the velocity.

"How are we not falling over?" You ask as your jacket and hair are whipped around.

"I'm gripping our shoes with the water. We'll be stable for as long as I want. So I advise you NOT to annoy me."

You nod with fear.

"Of course, whatever you say."

Dylan chuckles.

"Fun to see you in such a weakened state."

"Hey, I could survive this fall," you say as you look over the edge. "… probably."

"Whatever you say, Slater."

You roll your eyes and place your hands in your pockets. Something crosses your mind and you look down to your belt. You've been so busy today that you forgot to bring along Crimson Blaze. You quickly lift your arm to the air, palm to the sky, and wait. Dylan looks over at you, realizes what you're doing, and returns his gaze forward. After a few minutes, and the terrain changing to the beautiful Forest of Foreverfall, Crimson Blaze cuts through the air and lands in your palm. You grip it tightly then toss it to your belt.

"You're pretty slow if my sword can catch up to you," you comment.

"I'm surprised your sword has that much range," Dylan admits.

"Well, my friend, Dior, is a genius. I'm pretty sure I could be in Atlas and it would still come to me."

"Has that been tested?" Dylan inquires.

"No, it's just an assumption," you admit, shrugging looking to the ground below.

As your eyes scan the area they lock onto a moving object.

"Hey, that's the train!" You inform, tapping Dylan's shoulder.

Dylan looks down and identifies where the train is. His eyes become sharp and his determination strong, even as his heart beats a mile a minute. He doesn't want to go down there only because he knows who will be on that train, but he has to. He needs answers.

"I'll bring us down. Get ready," Dylan declares right before the small platform descends at a rapid rate while getting closer to the train.

Soon the platform hovers over the last car, and splashes onto it, letting you and him land smoothly and quietly. You both lower your bodies close to the car to keep steady, since the wind is constantly trying to push you off. Dylan slithers himself towards a door and opens it up. He gestures for you to come closer, which you do. You hop in first, relieved to not have the wind smashing against your body anymore. Instead it's replaced with rumbling of the train. Dylan lands beside you and quickly looks around. There's nothing but boxes around you, and not that many to make it feel too crowded.

"Alright Dylan, you know this train better than I do. Are they at the very front?" You ask.

"Not the boss, no. She'll be near the middle. It's where the equipment should be," Dylan speaks, approaching the door to the next train car.

You follow him closely, keeping your eyes open and your ears attentive. Dylan opens the next door and instantly stops halfway through. You can see his body tense, even through his clothes. He becomes stiff and disturbed.

"N-No…" He mutters in disbelief.

You lightly push him forward and enter the car with him to see what he sees. You look around the car and the resemblance is uncanny. Bodies are everywhere, just like the village. By the markings on their white uniforms, you can tell these were both employees of the Schnee Dust Company, and Atlas troops. You note that there are far more employees than soldiers, which gives you some reason to believe more could be alive. Or there weren't many soldiers assigned to defend whatever is on this train. You can't say at the moment.

"Well… I hate to break it to you, but the White Fang take NO prisoners."

Dylan shakes his head, disgusted with what he's forced to see.

"You don't hate to break it to me, Slater. This is the very point you and Blake tried to make."

 _Blake?_

Dylan curls his fingers into a fist and tightens it as hard as he can, making his fist shake. He immediately walks towards the next door.

"I'm coming Aza," he whispers to himself.

You quickly catch up with him, not wanting to be in this room any more. It stinks of dead flesh, which you're not a big fan of. But it soon becomes obvious to you that Dylan knows a lot more than he's willing to share, both about this operation and about his interactions with Blake. But that's not of grave importance right now, so you push it to the side for later.

Dylan pushes the door open and enters the next car, followed swiftly by you. This one has little in it, like the first one. A few crates litter the sides, but it's mostly clear. You and Dylan, now side-by-side, run to the next door. However, once reaching the middle, of the car, the next door begins to open. Both you and Dylan stop, your bodies in a stance that's ready for combat. Once the door fully opens a woman walks in. She's very petit, probably shorter than Ruby by your estimates, with pink hair on one half and brown on the other. Her clothing completely consists of white, pink, and brown, with her eyes following along as one is pink and the other is brown. The twirls an umbrella behind her as she almost dances towards you both, a cocky smile on her face.

Dylan breaks a sweat at the sight of his new opponent.

"Neo… damn… this isn't going to be-"

"Oh… my… god…" You say with pure shock.

Dylan looks over at you, becoming even more nervous. If you're worried about her, then there's a huge problem right now.

"You…" You start, taking a step towards Neo. "You… are adorable!"

"Wait, what?" Dylan instantly says.

Both Dylan and Neo are taken back by your comment. Neo, although not compromising her confident attitude, merely stops smiling and tilts her head to the side. You move towards her, your hands open towards her like she's a gift. Dylan reaches out for you, but you're too far out of reach for him to grab.

"Who are you? I've never seen someone so cute in my entire life," you ogle. "Your whole outfit is just adorable and your smile and your eyes… seriously your eyes!" Neo blinks, changing her eyes to white and brown. "Oh. My. God. You can change your eyes too! Dylan, look at her! She's the cutest little thing in all of Remnant!" You call out, looking at him.

"Slater, you moron!" Dylan shouts in a whisper. "She's here to kill us!"

You recoil at his words.

"What? This adorable pile of adorableness?" You look back at Neo, who's simply looking at you. It's like she's observing you more than simply watching you. "She couldn't hurt a fly! She's too cute! Can I poke your cheek? Please?" You beg.

Neo smiles, changing her eyes once more.

"Is that a yes?" You confirm.

Neo nods. You squeal in excitement and slowly close in on her face with your hand. The moment you touch her soft, pale skin, she twirls her umbrella around to hit you. You lean back to dodge the umbrella, then notice her leg coming from the side. You force your body towards her leg, spinning yourself over the leg and landing perfectly. You instantly hop away from her, landing beside Dylan.

"Dylan… why don't you go on ahead? I'll deal with this bundle of cuddles."

"What? Slater, this girl isn't a joke! She-"

"And I'm no joke either, Dylan," you retort, confidently standing before the petite female before you. "Save who you can while I deal with her. Just… don't come back with a bunch of reinforcements and turn on me, huh?" You smirk.

"Keep acting like an idiot and I shall. Just… be careful with this one," Dylan advises.

With that, Dylan runs forward. Neo doesn't even attempt to stop him, so he rushes past her with ease. He exits the car, leaving you and Neo to yourselves. She twirls her umbrella behind her, acting cutesie. You almost die of how adorable she is.

"Man, why do you gotta be on the other team. You're too adorable with your eyes and your size and the get up. I can't hit you. I just can't. I just want to hold you," you vent, making Neo perplexed.

She's heard of you before from various people, and they all have similar things to say with little differences. But this is not how she pictured you. She's unsure whether you're just trying to throw her off guard, or if you genuinely think she's cute. Not that it really matters to her, but it's just a change from what she's used to. Being around Roman, she's usually seen as his lapdog, or as a sadistic killer. Not that they're wrong about the second one, but adorable isn't something she usually hears from an enemy. She can't help but be flattered, but that won't stop her from ending you.

You lightly bounces on the spot, getting ready for what's to come.

"Please don't make me do this. I'd rather take you out to coffee or… I don't know. See, you're distracting me."

Neo tilts her head to the side and winks at you. You place your hand on your heart dramatically.

"Oh, no! You can't do that to me! I think my heart skipped a beat," you profess.

You and Neo slowly approach each other, Neo lowering her umbrella to a sword like grip. You both stare into each others eyes, preparing for what will come. You shake your head to clear all doubts then attempt to get in the game.

Neo is the first to take action, as she twirls herself around and attempts to kick your jaw. You lean back to dodge it and notice her umbrella on her way to hit you as well. You jump back a foot to dodge it, giving Neo time to position herself in a rather cute pose with her open umbrella hovering over her. You smile at the sight, but continue with your goal. You jump towards her and throw a punch. She spins her umbrella infront of her to redirect your punch upwards. As she does this, you look down to see her foot coming straight up at you. With some quick thinking you place your foot on hers to use as a stepping stool. You push off her foot and curl up into a ball as you spin over her, then land extremely close to the ground. You dart your eyes back, plant your hands down, and attempt to sweep kick Neo. She easily recognizes this and flips over your feet, preparing to drive her heel into your back. You roll your body to the side, dodging her heel, then sweep her again with success.

Neo's feet are taken right out from under her as she falls to the side. She looks into your eyes to see a confident aura residing in you. You actually got a hit on her. She won't let you do it again. Before she can land on her side, Neo drives her umbrella into the ground, allowing her to get some space. She lands elegantly, then looks up at you. She instantly recognizes a threat and leans her body to the side, allowing Crimson Blaze, still sheathed, to fly past her and indent into the train car. You roll your shoulders and cast a smile.

"That hurt me, you know, even if it was just a tap," you truthfully say. "Now please, let's stop this. You're too adorable to be a murderer, and I don't want to have to hurt you."

Neo keeps smiling at you, changing her eye colour every once in a while. Although looking confident, she's slightly worried. Not many people have gotten a hit on her before, even if it's as trivial as a sweep. She might have to get serious.

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Dylan rushes through the door, leaving you to deal with Neo. Once the door closes behind him he stops for a moment. He's unsure whether you can handle her. He's seen Neo in action before, and she's someone he hopes he'll never have to fight. Still, you're skilled, even if he hates to admit it. Whether you're good enough to handle Neo is a whole different story.

He shakes his head, clearing those thoughts. You volunteered to hold her back to buy him time. It's a symbol of trust – you know Dylan will do the right thing. Dylan… isn't so sure himself. He needs to find his sister. He needs to find Aza. Dylan steadies himself and rushes forward. He knows what'll be in the next few cars. This one is filled with weapons, as is the next one. After that comes the suits that Roman wanted, and then some basic supplies. No doubt Aza will be with the suits.

Dylan sprints into the next car and instantly stops. White Fang are rummaging through the weapons crates, looking for anything interesting. Of course, they all stop and look at Dylan. He quickly dons a confident persona and continues to walk forward.

"Dylan? I thought you were captured?" A member asks, standing up from his crate.

"You thought they could hold me? Please… now, I can only assume Aza is in charge here. Where is she?" Dylan asks in a cold, calculating manner.

"T-The next car, sir," the same member replies.

Dylan continues walking forward, not daring to be distracted for a moment. He exits the car and enters the next, where Aza is looking over some of the suits. She turns to the door with fire in her eyes, ready to melt whoever disturbs her. That fire is quickly doused when she sees her brother.

"Dylan? I wasn't expecting to see you here. You missed out on all the fun; we're just about to evacuate with the equipment," Aza speaks.

"What happened at the village, Aza?" Dylan asks, getting right to it.

"What? What does that matter?" She replies, stepping away from the suit.

"You had innocents killed – both humans and Faunus. We just wanted the Grimm," he says while taking a few steps away from the door.

"What do they matter? They got in the way of our mission."

"We don't kill other Faunus! That's not what the White Fang do!"

"We fight for our rights!" Aza argues, getting heated. "If other Faunus can't understand that then they don't deserve the revolution we're giving them. Why? What is this?"

Dylan shakes his head.

"Killing innocent people… that won't bring us equality!"

"Equality? We're talking about revolution! Equality will never exist with humans, we must take it from them, Dylan! You knew this!"

"No!" Dylan shouts. "That isn't what I want, Aza."

Aza takes a step towards Dylan, examining him.

"You've changed, Dylan. You would do anything for our cause, and now you're arguing it?"

"No. I want Faunus to have rights, but not by killing all humans! That's war, not revolution!"

Aza huffs.

"They did something to you, Dylan. You… are in the way," she determines, reaching down to her legs and unsheathing two kunai. "Come back with me, and we'll show you the truth."

Dylan can't believe his own sister is drawing her weapons against him. Dylan takes a step back, trying to collect his thoughts. His sister, who he's respected and loved all his life, is willing to kill him for this. Yet you and Blake, people who had every right to kill him, have accepted him with open arms and a few idiotic remarks. Dylan can't accept this. Being away from the White Fang, even for this short amount of time, has almost cleansed him. He doesn't want innocent people to die. He's like Blake. He just wants equality.

Dylan raises his fists and activates his weapon.

"I… I can't do that, Aza. And I can't let you leave with those suits."

Aza raises her brow at her brother's defiance, then chuckles as she closes them.

"I won't spare any enemy of the White Fang… not even my brother."

Aza lights the kunai on fire, then throws them at Dylan. Dylan jabs the air, releasing a torrent of air to send the kunai flying. Aza perfectly twirls over the current and grabs her kunai while doing so. She lands behind Dylan, turning around and attempt to stab her brother. Dylan ducks under the attack, turns his upperbody around, and punches Aza's stomach, sending her flying back above the door. She slams against the ground, laughing.

"You dare attack your sister…" She whispers. "Amazing… you really are a traitor."

Aza pushes herself to her feet and smiles at her little brother. Dylan shimmies back a bit, keeping his distance. He doesn't want to fight Aza, and she knows it. He won't be fighting at his full potential, which means she'll beat him with ease. Aza stretches her neck, cracking it, then rushes towards Dylan. She extends her hand forward then pulls it to herself, summoning a ball of fire behind Dylan. Dylan turns around and notices the fire coming towards him. He backhands the fire back, sending it away with his weapon, but Aza's too quick and manages to hit him with another from the front. Dylan tumbles across the ground but manages to stop himself. He looks up at his sister, who's rushing towards him. Dylan summons some water above her and slams it down. Aza notices at the last second and drops to a slide, shooting fire up to hit the water, causing mist to spread across the whole car.

Dylan scans the space around him, unable to see where Aza went. He keeps his wits about him, making sure to check every angle around him. Suddenly he feels flaming steel rush across his back, cutting into his aura. Dylan jumps back, turns around, and fires his weapon. He only manages to hit one of the suits, which topples backwards, hitting the edge of the car. However, much of the mist is blown away with his attack. Dylan jumps towards one end of the train car, making sure all that's behind him is the door, and begins firing non-stop. The mist begins clearing out, but he has yet to hit Aza yet.

"Be careful, brother," a voice whispers from above.

Dylan looks up, only to be greeted by Aza's heel. She slams down onto his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Then, after digging into his chest some more, she does a front flip which flicks Dylan into the middle of the car. He coughs a bit, but manages to get back on his feet. Dylan fires at Aza, but she instantly counters with flames. The fire consumes the wind he's shooting, edging the heat ever closer to him. Realizing this, Dylan stops firing and attempts to jump back. However, Aza controls the existing fire, and plummets it right at Dylan. Dylan attempts to create water from the particles in the air, but the fire is too powerful and too fast. It blasts its way through the little water Dylan created, and burrows itself into his chest. Aza flicks her fingers up, making the collection of fire arc up and push Dylan against the ceiling.

Dylan cringes in pain as he's forced between immense heat which is quickly draining his aura, and the solid metal behind him, which is also heating up. To his surprise, Aza lets the fire die out, letting Dylan fall towards the ground. However, Aza dashes towards Dylan, kunai in both hands, and attacks. Right as Dylan reaches her height she cuts his side, spins around and knees his back to keep him in the air, then spins her kunai to an icepick grip and jabs his stomach, slamming him into the ground. She masterfully tosses the kunai into the leg holster, then slides her hand up to Dylan's throat and grips it tightly. She drags him across the ground, spins, and throws him into the nearby wall. Dylan slams against the wall then lands on the floor, nearly unconscious with an aura level reaching zero.

Aza looks at her little brother, smiling sadistically. She tosses a kunai between hands as she approaches Dylan for the kill.

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Neo flips around you, spins and kicks. You evade to the side, then go for your own punch. She tilts her head out of the way. You continue by throwing punches, elbows, and backhands at her, but she expertly dodges every single one while somehow keeping a sassy form to her. She backs up an extra foot then moves in with her umbrella, singing it in a figure eight motion. You step to the side each time, evading as she pushes you back. She attempts to kick as you dodge, but you manage to weave yourself under the kick and go for a punch. She moves her head to the side once more, allowing your hand behind her. She attempts to hit you with her free hand, but you slip your arm up to block hers.

You both stand still, eye to eye since you're kneeling. You can see a few lines of sweat from your encounter. Indeed this has been a tiring one for you both, constantly moving and dodging. You've never faced someone like her before, neither in skill nor looks. Yet, somehow, you're enjoying every moment of it. She smiles at you, almost like she commemorating you for your abilities. You smile back.

"You're good, I'll give you that. I suppose you're not just a ball of adorableness, but also one that can kick some serious booty," you speak, breathing a little heavier than normal. "But I feel like this has to end sometime, even if I want to see you for as long as I can."

Neo continues to smile. She still has her umbrella, and she can easily activate the blade and stab you with it. You close your eyes in a humbling manner.

"But… I can't hurt something so cute…"

You open your palm as Neo activates her blade. Neo attempts to move her umbrella until she feels something pushing against her hair and neck. Her eyes shoot open as reality dawns on her.

She lost.

You hold Crimson Blade against her neck, your right arm gripping the sheath while your left holds the hilt. It's firmly pushing against both pink and brown strands of hair.

"The moment I threw Crimson Blaze, I had won," you say in a far more serious manner, not even looking Neo in the eyes. "Well, actually that's give or take," you admit, returning to a cheerful tone. "You were a lot better than I expected, and nearly got me a few times. So, I suppose it was a coin toss."

You stand up straight and fully sheathe Crimson Blaze. You lift it over Neo's head then allow it to return to your hip. Neo watches you with surprise and doubt. Why would you just let her go like that? You could have killed her right there.

"As I said, I can't hurt something so cute, so let's just say I won this bout and you surrendered, hm?" You offer with a smile. "So, I'm gonna be on my way now. I hope you respect that I won and will leave me be now. We'll just say it's one to zero, and perhaps you'll even it out next time we meet?"

You click your tongue and wink at her before walking past her with your guard completely down. Neo's left utterly baffled at the actions of her opponent. You spared her, let her go, and promised to fight again. You flirtariously winked at her, called her cute and adorable even though she would have ended you without a second thought. She turns around and watches you enter the next car. The door automatically closes, separating you two. She frowns a bit, wondering what she should do. For some reason, she respects you. You were able to play her game and not be hit, and even spare her afterwards. She can't attack you. Her body, her spirit won't allow her to. You're unique, the most unique person she's ever fought. Somewhere, deep down, she hopes she'll be able to fight you again too.

The door closes behind you, and the moment you hear that it does you smile. You're hoping you'll meet that adorable little girl again. She's one of the cutest people you've ever seen in your life. Funny enough, that's the second in the last few weeks. The other also being a little shorter than-

 _Hold on, what am I thinking? Am… am I thinking what I think I'm thinking? About… hm… sheesh, I must be having some sort of adrenaline rush or something._

You shake your head and jog your way through the car. You make it to the end and enter the next car only to find a large amount of White Fang. They all stop and look at you, almost shaken with confusion and fear. You smile and wave.

"Uh… hey there… you don't happen to know where the bathroom is wou-"

"That's Slater! Get him!"

"Oooof course," you moan.

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Aza walks towards Dylan, taking her time to get there. Once she hangs over her defeated brother, she lifts her foot and slams it down on his back, keeping him in place. He coughs at the actions and still tries to struggle, but it does nothing. Aza grinds her heel on Dylan's back.

"I'm so… disappointed in you, Dylan. I thought you to be loyal to our cause, but evidently you're nothing but a filthy traitor, who deserves to die like everyone else. This… this is for the Faunus, Dylan," she recites with zero empathy for her brother. "Know that you did well in ensuring our dominance."

The door to the previous car is broken off it's hinges as a member of the White Fang falls on it. You saunter out of the car into the next, brushing your hands against your jeans.

"Well, that wasn't much fun. So, oh," you notice Aza and Dylan. "Well, that doesn't look to good. You need some help there, Dylan?" You offer.

Dylan angrily groans at you, causing you to chuckle.

"I can leave if you'd rather handle this yourself."

Aza stares at you with pure anger.

"Slater…" She grinds her teeth. "You… brought Slater here?" She hisses, looking down at Dylan.

"Hey, you brought more friends than he did, so I think it's fair. You gotta remember: quality, not quantity. Though that adorable ice-cream girl was pretty good."

"Shut up!" Aza barks. "You… you will die right here, right now."

You raise your brow at Aza. She's too easy in your eyes. She's extremely irritable, which means your idiotic banter will either throw her off her game, or make her do something irrational. Both work for you, so you feel little threat at the moment. You roll your neck around and shrug.

"Meh, I don't feel that threatened right now. How about you get off my friend, first?"

Dylan notes that statement. Aza simply laughs at it.

"Friends? You two? Brother, you're an utter failure. Watch how a true Brine deals with a Slater."

Aza steps off Dylan and moves closer to you.

"I'll deal with this filth."

You look around the car.

"Yeah, it is a little dirty. You do that while I go check up on Dylan," you agree, casually strolling towards Dylan.

Aza flicks her wrists, allowing two kunai to slip into her hand. She slices at your head, which you duck under. You see the second kunai coming at your level, which you easily guide her hand away from you, then thrust your open palm into her stomach, forcing her across the train car.

"That's not very effective cleaning," you remark, getting beside Dylan.

You kneel down and flip Dylan over. He's cringing, but he doesn't seem too hurt. There's no blood, so that's a good sign. You pat his chest.

"Come on Dylan, you survived a Bullhead crash. You'll be fine."

You pull him up and support him on your shoulder, letting him hang off you. Dylan looks up at his sister, who's raring to go for more.

"Fight her… don't worry about me…"

You look over at Aza, then back to Dylan.

"Sorry man, you're my partner for this and, if I remember correctly, I have to work on my team skills. So you're number one right now, bucco."

Aza summons a massive amount of fire and throws it at you. You jump to the side, but more comes from all directions. You turn around and jump towards the door and into the next car. Dylan notices that all the White Fang members are scattered across the area, moaning in pain. You didn't kill them. Aza keeps the heat on, pushing the fire through the door to you. You book it to the next door. Realistically you could deal with this fire and with Aza, but you don't want to leave Dylan in his current state. You can leave Dylan in another car, then come back for Aza.

You push open the door and allow it to close behind you. You recall that Neo is in the next car. You pray she's not hostile right now, cause you can't deal with her and Aza right now, especially not with Dylan hanging off you. Soon enough Aza breaks through the door, throwing over a dozen flaming kunai at you. Your eyes widen in an almost cartoonish manner as you wail. You jump forward, pulling Dylan close and twirling like a bullet. After a few kunai pass you, you separate your bodies just enough for a kunai to pass through the two of you. You pull him close again, then land on your feet. You bolt into the next car and, to your relief, Neo is no longer there.

You close the door behind you and run to the middle of the car. You set Dylan down on the side, making sure he's comfortable.

"Alright, stay here. I'll go deal with the hot head," you smirk.

You stand up and rush to the door. You open it up and go to take a step, but you immediately stop yourself when your foot lands on nothing. You look forward to see the train leaving you behind. Aza and Neo are standing at the door, smiling at you. Neo winks and blows you a kiss, while Aza simply gives you a death stare, then turns away. Neo stays to watch as you fall out of sight. Soon enough, the train leaves you in the dust.

You slam your fist against the wall.

"Damnit!"

"I… I told you to leave me," Dylan coughs, slowly walking towards you. "She was pushing you back to this car. The rest of them have the supplies she came for."

You look at Dylan, then to the ground and sigh.

"Well… damn, we didn't accomplish a thing," you huff.

"Not necessarily. I managed to permanently disable a suit or two with my electrified air shot. Not that Aza noticed," Dylan smirks. "So it wasn't all a waste."

You and Dylan walk away from the door and go back to the middle of the car.

"So the people in the back were dead?" You question.

"Afraid so. There's nothing more we can do now."

You pull out your scroll and start fiddling with it.

"What're you doing?" Dylan asks.

"I'm sending a tip to the Atlas military. The sooner they know the sooner they can track them down. I'd offer to do it myself, but with the semester starting soon I don't want to get too invested."

"Hmph," Dylan acknowledges.

He turns his gaze to you. Something about what just happened and what you said. It hit him. Saying he's your partner, not leaving him behind, and actually giving a damn about all of this. He really was blinded by the White Fang. You're an annoying, idiotic, loudmouthed buffoon, but you're not all that bad in reality. Dylan turns away, having trouble admitting he was wrong about you. He's always right, and he always has things completely planned out. But this? Having Slater call him a friend was not something he ever anticipated. Yet, he likes it.

"Hey Slater," Dylan speaks.

"Hm? Yeah?" You innocently ask.

"So I'm your friend, huh?" He chuckles.

You shrug, laughing. You don't give a real answer. Dylan can't help but smirk. Nothing went the way he wanted today, yet, somehow, he's not disappointed at all.

 **What a way to kick off Volume 2. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are ready for more. We're finally getting to the point where you'll see actual events from the show. Also… well… some romance may bloom this Volume. Who knows? Anyway, I'll see you all next time!**

 **FACT: Fight scenes are surprisingly easy to write for me, but Neo has proven to be a challenge due to her fighting style. When I come up with fight scenes, I usually come up with more than I write, and save some for later (future Neo fight confirmed). Location also helps too. But again, due to Neo's constant dodging and quick movements, it's extremely difficult to write exactly what Neo does. Seriously, try describing Neo vs. Yang, or even her time fighting Ruby. She's very hard to plan, but I think I've come up with some scenes for her you'll all like.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Want to get your own one-shots written? Consider checking out my page! . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	14. Chapter 14: What Matters To Us

**Chapter 14: What Matters To Us**

Aza, Cinder, Roman, and the hooded man sit around a table. Members of the White Fang are walking around them, piling the weapons and equipment brought back from the train.

"My apologies for the delay, Cinder," Aza respectively says. "We were attacked by Slater, then ran into some trouble with the Atlas Military. They weren't any match for me, however."

Cinder smiles.

"That's quite alright. Roman," she turns to him. "Is everything coming together as planned?"

Roman pulls his cigar out of his mouth.

"You're talking to a professional, of course it is. Good to see animals working hard."

Aza grinds her teeth at Roman, but a chuckle distracts her. Everyone looks toward the source of the laughter – to the hooded man.

"You know how to play with fire, Roman. Literally. But, Aza, leave him alone. You'll be taking orders from him once Cinder and her little posse leave for Beacon. That's less than a week away, no?" He asks, getting back to a serious manner.

Cinder lightly nods.

"It is. But… I assumed you would take command while I'm gone."

He lets out a single laugh.

"You think I want to lead your little brigade? No. I have my own business to attend to. Roman will suffice. Speaking of good enough," he leans on the table, closer to Aza. "I hear you and Neo couldn't defeat Slater."

Aza growls at him.

"I did what I had to do."

"You outsmarted the ignorant, and even still some of the suits were damaged in the process. What happened to killing him no matter what?"

Aza summons fire in her hand and shoves it towards the hooded man. She stops right before his face, which is still shrouded by the cloak. He doesn't move, despite the heat.

"Threats, hm? Very well," he pushes off the table as he stands. "Perhaps you want to fight me."

Aza nervously looks at the towering man before her. She turns her head away and allows the fire to go out.

"Hmph, that's to be expected. Cinder, I'm leaving. You all know how to contact me, if the need arises."

With that, the hooded man begins walking away, his every step echoing through the building. It's a heavy step, almost like a condensed earthquake. It shows power – power to destroy everything around him. Cinder angrily shakes her head at the man.

"He is difficult to work with."

"I like'em," Roman declares. "Anyhow, if you ladies are done bantering, I'd like to get back to work. Dust isn't going to steal itself you know?" Roman stands up and turns around. "Neo!"

Neo seems to almost materialize out of thin air, as nobody even knew she was in the room, and approaches Roman. "Let's go. We're leaving."

"One moment," Cinder calls out. Both Roman and Neo turn around. "Neo… how did Slater best you?"

Neo smiles and holds up her fingers, displaying a zero and a one, then winks at Cinder before turning around and walking away. There's an extra skip in her step as she walks, Cinder notices this. Something has her riled up? Excited? She's unsure. It's hard to tell with Neo, as she's one of the most difficult people for her to read.

Neo, on the other hand, has only two things on her mind. What Roman might have her do next, and when she'll be able to fight you again.

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"To think," Dylan speaks, fixing the sleeves of his coat. "The great Slater defeated so easily. Perhaps you shouldn't have been so cocky?"

"ACHOO!"

You rub your nose, staring at Dylan who's enjoying this ever so much. "You know what?" You threaten, you voice nasally and sick.

"What? You can barely go a minute without sneezing. Was it not Ruby who told you to stop standing out in the rain?" Dylan brings up, checking his shoes to make sure they're tied up tight.

You pout and look away from Dylan.

"I don't need your lecturing, Dylan. All I want is for you to skedaddle so I can sleep."

Dylan stands up straight and stares at you lying in your bed. He sighs.

"Are you sure you don't want me here? Seems you could use someone to at least be here for you. For no other reason than for you to tell them stupid jokes and sarcastic remarks."

You chuckle, then swivel your head back to Dylan.

"And you'd volunteer to go through that hell? You hate my jokes."

Dylan nods.

"True, but you could say I owe you one for saving me a couple days back."

You roll your eyes.

"Please, I'm always here to help with ladies, whether it be a crush or them trying to crush you."

Dylan shakes his head and approaches the door.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't overexert yourself, alright? If you need something then send me a message."

"What? For you to look at it and say 'do it yourself'?" You predict.

Dylan snickers, looks at his shoes for an instant then back to you.

"Pretty much, yeah. Take care of yourself, Slater."

"Ye- ah, ah, ACHOO!" You let out a howling sneeze, shaking the bed.

Dylan snickers as he exits the room.

"Shut up!" You shout at him, but it's no use. He's gone.

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Dylan walks through the halls of the building with a specific dorm in mind. He was surprised to be invited out to the town, especially at a later hour. Seven at night isn't that late compared to other times, but he simply wasn't expecting his trip to the training room to yield an outcome such as this. Dylan rolls his right shoulder, testing to see if it still hurts. He's recovered quickly from his battle with Aza, thanks to his aura and to you. You made sure he healed nicely before returning to Beacon. It's the second time you've helped save his life, even if he wasn't in danger of dying from these sets of wounds.

But that night still troubles him. His sister, the one who's watched over him for so long was so ready to strike him down with no regret. All for the name of the White Fang and justice. That act alone has warped everything he's known, and your kindness hasn't helped. The kindness of all humans haven't helped. Only a few he's encountered have been cruel to him, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. This isn't like last time. Nobody is like them.

Dylan clenches his fist as he stands in front of the door. He didn`t mean to lead his mind to back then, but it just happened. Perhaps all this thought roots back to it. To when he first left the White Fang. To when he thought he found his purpose. But that seems shrouded now. Almost proven wrong, in a sense.

He shakes his head and escapes the maze of his mind. He focuses on the now, and what he's intending to do. He knocks on the door twice with the bone of his index finger, then patiently waits for a response. Within a few seconds, the door opens to reveal Blake, who is holding the door open, along with the rest of team RWBY looking at who Blake was so eager to meet.

"Oh, it's Dylan," Ruby concurs, going back to her bed.

"Are you ready?" Blake bluntly asks.

Dylan nods.

"Sure. Let's go."

"Oh? And where are you two going?" Yang teases, crossing her arms and smiling smugly.

"Library," Dylan quickly answers before taking a step away from the dorm.

Blake turns around to grab the door handle.

"I'll be back before curfew," she informs before closing the door.

Blake catches up to Dylan, who was walking slowly.

"So you have information on the White Fang?" Blake asks, her tone far more serious.

Dylan slowly nods, looking around.

"I do, but we'll discuss that when we get to the library. In the meantime, we're actually lucky to be going," Dylan says, changing subjects to an average, less suspicious conversation.

"Oh? Why's that?" Blake inquires, turning her head towards Dylan.

"Slater seems to have caught a cold and isn't doing too well. I was worried I'd have to take care of the idiot myself. But, he's stubborn as always and refuses the help," Dylan finishes in an exhausted tone.

"Oh? Really?" Blake mumbles, an idea forming in her mind.

She takes out her scroll and quickly types up a message for her illustrious leader. Dylan notices some of the words she types.

"Why're you letting Ruby know he's sick?"

Blake quickly sends the message and places her scroll in her pocket.

"Well, I'm not supposed to say, and Ruby wouldn't admit it herself, but she's got a crush on him."

Dylan chuckles.

"She must have an acquired taste to like him. But… I suppose I can see it. They were talking to each other in the rain a few days back."

Dylan and Blake approach the door. Dylan opens it for Blake and allows her to pass first before following.

"Hm… it's possible that it was the day she asked me for advice on it. Truthfully, I don't know what conclusion she came to, but I believe she's recognizing her feelings."

"She's only a kid," Dylan brings up.

"She isn't much younger than us, and, if you think about it, (Y/N)'s maturity level doesn't surpass hers."

Dylan and Blake laugh at that.

"Very true," Dylan agrees, nodding his head as he lets out the last few chuckles. "But, that's none of our business anyway. His love life means little to me."

"Even if you're friends?" Blake brings up with a smug smile.

"Tsk, friends? I… I don't know about that. He called me a friend when… look, let's just get to the library. We can talk then."

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Ruby flips through some of her books, but can't find anything she wants to read. Finally, she looks to the corner of her bed and sees the book you lent her some time ago. She still hasn't read it completely yet. She saves it for when she's with you. She hasn't had much time to read it with you, unfortunately. She wants to, but… well her own conflicting feelings are getting in the way.

Since her walk a few days ago, she still doesn't have an answer. She ended up standing in front of the statue of your family and thought. She's never really done that before, and it almost reminded her of when she visits her mother's grave. But, like when she visits Summer's grave, she felt a sort of comfort while standing there. Part of her wished you were there with her, which adds to her feelings. She wanted you there. She wants you here.

Ruby grazes her hands over the book, but is interrupted when her scroll goes off. She jumps at the sudden surprise, which Yang and Weiss notice, but dismiss instantly. Ruby reaches to her scroll and reads the message from Blake.

"Ruby, apparently (Y/N) is alone. Just trying to help you out, not that he's the boy or anything, but I thought you'd like to spend time with him."

Ruby narrows her eyes at the message, and how cheeky Blake is being to her. But, the thought it tempting. She's not really doing anything right now, and she really does enjoy your company. Ruby nods to herself, swiping her scroll and the book before she hops off the bed. Yang looks over to her sister who's approaching the door.

"Where're you going, sis?" Yang casually asks, messing with her hair as she lies on her bed.

"I'm gonna see what (Y/N) is doing," Ruby answers.

Weiss and Yang share a look, Yang smirking.

"Oh… well, have fun," Yang hopes with a certain spunk in her voice.

Ruby closes the door behind her and lightly jogs through the halls. It takes very little time for her to reach your room, but the first thing she hears is something she wasn't expecting.

"A…A… ACHOO!" You howl, shaking the halls of the building.

Ruby stops a few doors down from yours. No doubt that was you. It sounded like you, but… why are you sneezing?

"ACHOO! HACHOO! ACHOO!" A succession rustles

Ruby giggles at the thought of you sneezing. With a smile on her face, she approaches your door. She knocks twice, then knocks once after a moment. She waits a moment, swinging her hips front and back in a cutesy manner, imagining what condition you're possibly in. She has a certain confidence right now, hoping, though a maleficent thought, you're sick. She wants to see if you're truly sick so she can say "I told you so." She remembers telling you not to stand in the rain, and she's noticed you've been wandering during the night more and more.

The door slowly opens to reveal you, leaning against the door looking like you've seen a ghost. Your skin is pale, your eyes are drooping, and you keep wiping your nose. You look down at Ruby as lazily as you can.

"Little Re… Re… RACHOO!" You sneeze, turning away from Ruby and sneezing into your arm. "Ahh… bleh…" You dart your eyes over to Ruby, who's looking as happy as ever. You narrow your eyes at her. "What're you looking at?" You pout.

Ruby continues to smile, staring at you with her shining silver eyes.

"Oh nothing. Do you mind if I come in, and close the door. You're loud enough with the door closed," she chuckles, teasing you.

You roll your eyes and walk away, letting your hand slide down the door to your side.

"Yeah… knock yourself out. God knows I want to."

"You want to knock me out?" Ruby pouts, sadistically playing with you.

"What? No, of course not!" You quickly respond. "I meant knock myself out and… ehhh whatever," you say in defeat, falling face first onto your bed.

Ruby chuckles as she closes the door behind you.

"Do you need anything? Water, or maybe some medicine?"

You moan from the pillow loudly, right before…

"ACHOO!" You release it into the pillow, making it all condense around your face. You slowly start fake crying at your state.

Ruby giggles at your suffering but she does walk to the bathroom to get you some water. She fills up a cup she finds near your sink and sits it to the side. She lets the water run so it becomes colder, but also allows the sound of running water to calm you. She looks over at you to check your state. You've rolled off the pillow and are staring at the ceiling now.

"Sounds nice," you admit, your voice painfully nasally.

"Better than sneezing?" She brings up.

You nod, smiling.

"Definitely better."

Ruby smiles and looks back to the tap. She grabs the cup and moves it under the water, allowing the cup to fill up with some decently cold water. Once the cup is mostly full, she turns off the tap and saunters to you. She places the water on your bedside table then sits on the edge of your bed.

"How long have you been sick for?" Ruby softly speaks.

"Mmm… just today. Dylan's been taking… well, taking care of me isn't really the word for it, but he's making sure I don't die or anything," you snicker.

"But he left you for Blake."

You shake your head.

"Always for the ladies, of course. Next time I'll just hang out with you instead of him," you plan.

Ruby becomes a shade of pink at the thought of you wanting to spend time with her like that.

"I… I wouldn't mind it. Us hanging out, I mean."

"Well, isn't that what we're doing right now? Even if – ACHOO," you rub your nose. "Even if you're technically taking care of me."

Ruby shrugs.

"It's my pleasure. Better than Weiss taking care of you, right?" She jokes.

You both laugh.

"Yeah, yeah that's true. Hey, is it hot in here or is it just me?"

Ruby leans closer to you and place her small hand on your forehead, keeping secret how fast her heart is pounding in his situation.

"You do feel hot. Here, I'll get you a cloth. Just… um… drink some water!"

You nod and grab the cup to drink as Ruby runs to the bathroom to get the damp cloth. You watch as Ruby rushes around your room to take care of you. It's an odd feeling. You haven't needed someone to take care of you in years, and now it's by someone who's younger than you. Still, there's a comfort you can't deny in having Ruby taking care of you. She's fun to be with, and evidently responsible by the way she's acting now. She's… interesting. Unique. You'd be lying if you said you didn't enjoy her around. You'd be lying if you said you didn't like her.

Ruby scurries back to you, quickly placing the cloth on your forehead.

"Gah, it's so cold!" You whine.

"It has to be, silly. Would you rather be getting warmer?" She proposes.

You shake your head.

"No, no, this is fi- fi- FACHOO!"

Ruby ends up laughing at your sneeze again.

"Shut up!" You pout.

Your childish face makes Ruby laugh even harder. You roll your eyes and look away.

"Aren't you supposed to be older than me?" Ruby teases.

"Aren't YOU supposed to shut up?" You remark, still fake angry.

Ruby clicks her tongue and stands up.

"Fine. I guess I'll just leave you alone then," she declares as she begins to walk away.

"Wait!" You unconsciously shout.

Ruby stops, slips one leg around her other, and spins her body to face you. Your arms are crossed and you're looking away from Ruby.

"You… you don't have to go," you whisper.

Ruby melts at your words. As evil and sadistic as she's being for the fun of it, she can't help but want to keep going just to see your reaction to it all.

Ruby returns to her previous seat on your bed and look at you.

"I still have that book you leant me. Do you want to read it together?" Ruby offers, slipping the book out of her pouch.

You look over at her and the book. You notice a glimmer of hope in her eyes that you'll agree. You warmly smile and nod.

"Sure, why not. But, ah… do you know where some tissues are? I don't think I have any here."

Ruby looks around and confirms with what you said.

"I have some in my room. I'll go grab some."

Ruby bounces off your bed and heads out the door, leaving you all alone. You rest completely on your bed, relaxing before the bubbly redhead comes back. But before you can, you hear a knock on your door. You doubt it's Ruby, for she wouldn't knock. You groan as you lift yourself off your bed and stumble towards the door. You open it up and are surprised to see Jaune and Ren, standing patiently at your door.

Jaune waves, while Ren bows his head.

"Hey (Y/N)," Jaune starts, his happy-go-lucky tone still there. "I heard you were sick."

"Literally. We heard you," Ren clarifies.

You chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry about that," you rub the back of your head.

"Have you taken any medicine?" Ren calmly asks.

You shake your head, then take a step back so Jaune and Ren can enter. They do, and Ren closes the door behind him.

"Well, it's a good thing I brought this," Ren pulls out a glass of green liquid.

Jaune look at it and moans, face palming.

"Oh no," he mumbles.

You raise your brow at the concoction in Ren's hand.

"It's a blend of herbs and spices that will stimulate the body's natural healing process. Please, drink it," Ren politely insists, extending the drink to you.

You slowly go to grab it, keeping your eyes on Jaune. He looks far more concerned than you'd like to be. Ren's serious, and almost hopeful look, makes you want to put faith in him. You take a deep breath, raise the glass towards Jaune, then down the entire glass in one go. Jaune watches in amazement as Ren stands proud. You pull the glass away as you realize what you just drank. The texture, odd. The taste, revolting. The health benefits, unknown.

You hand the glass back to Ren, trying to keep the concoction down. The taste is attaching itself everywhere around your mouth, ensuring it lingers for as long as possible. But, you've come to believe that things that taste bad are usually healthy. Still, they taste bad. You give Ren a reassuring smile, completely hiding your absolute disgust.

"Ah, it's good to see someone can handle healthy food. Would you like me to make you more?"

"No!" You instantly shout, then calm down. "No. It's fine, Ren. I think that'll be all I need for," you rub your stomach. "A w-a… ah… ACHOO!"

Suddenly a small red blur comes into your room, leaving pedals all over the floor as she grinds to a half in front of you.

"Sorry that took so long we didn't have any in our room and I had to find some but I couldn't so I asked Professor Port and he kept talking and…" Ruby slowly realizes that Jaune and Ren are in the room. She waves at them with a wide smile. "Hi Jaune! Ren!"

"Hey Ruby. I see you're taking care of (Y/N)," Jaune pieces together.

You give him a menacing glare, which he only giggles at.

"Well, I wouldn't say tissues is taking care of someone-"

"Yeah, I can take ca- ah… ACHOO! Goddamnit," you say right after, immediately covering your mouth after in an attempt to hide what you just said in front of Ruby.

Thankfully she didn't seem to notice since she continues to talk to Jaune. Ren shakes his head at your mistake, but remains friendly. Ren turns to Ruby as she talks to Jaune and notices something about her. She's moved position to one beside Jaune, which gives her a view of you and him. He also notices that her eyes tend to look your way, if only for a split second, before returning to Jaune. Ren nods in understanding, then moves beside his teammate.

"It seems Ruby has this under control. Perhaps it is our time to leave?" Ren suggests.

Jaune looks over at Ren, then shrugs.

"He is right. You can handle him on your own, and the less people here the less chance we'll all get sick."

Ruby nods, hiding her excitement of being alone with you again. She won't admit it, but she was slightly worried when she noticed Jaune and Ren. They're her friends and she loves spending time with them, but she was really hoping for it to just be you and her again. So now that they're leaving she can finally have that.

Ruby looks away, contemplating that thought. She wants to be alone with you. She was worried when others were here. More and more she realizes that she has some sort of desire to be close to you and a need to help you. Maybe she does… maybe she really, finally, likes a boy.

Jaune and Ren leave with a wave and close the door behind them, letting you and Ruby be alone. Ruby feels an awkward silence fill the air. She doesn't know what to say. You don't know what to say. But something does know exactly what to say.

"ACHOO!" You let out.

Ruby stares at you for a second then bursts out laughing. Her laugh is so cute, so contagious that you can't help but laugh along with her. Ruby moves beside you as she laughs and slowly place her hand on your back.

"Alright, get back to bed. You need to rest."

You scratch your neck as she lightly pushes you towards your bed.

"Fine," you moan, getting back into bed.

Ruby takes her usual spot on the edge of her bed, then hands you the tissue box. You smile, taking it from her, and set it on your bedside. You then fall flat on your back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Ruby…"

"Yeah, (Y/N)?"

You inhale as much as you can before loudly saying.

"I'm boooored!"

Ruby chuckles and grabs the book once more.

"I brought this? Do you finally want to read it?" Ruby offers.

You smile and nod, allowing the little hooded girl to read. Ruby opens up the book to the next section of the book, and she reads it like she's an expert.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blake keeps her eyes absolutely focused on Dylan and he tells his story. It's a simple one, but important. Everything that happened the night of the train – you fighting Neo, him fighting Aza, what they were after, how they got it, and how you saved his skin. Blake listens attentively, taking everything in.

"And now the White Fang have the suits – albeit less than planned – and the equipment and I have no idea what they could be doing now. It's…" Dylan tightens his fist on the table. "Aggravating."

Blake places her hand on Dylan's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

"Don't worry, we'll find them. You've found out more than I have, and now I have more information. I just need to piece it all together."

Dylan smiles slightly before Blake takes her hand back, though she let it linger for some time.

"From what I understand, you've learned little since the docks incident. The White Fang have had little trouble after that, other than the village."

Blake's face goes sour.

"I hate it. My mind is constantly going back to that night and what the White Fang are doing now. I just… I need to stop them!" She exclaims, becoming more passionate about it.

Dylan can't help but smirk.

"I'll help you. I've been in the White Fang for longer than you have, so I know them better."

Blake shakes her head.

"Have you been? I've been there since I was a little girl. I saw it change to the twisted form it is today, and I did nothing. Even thought it was right."

Dylan can almost feel the desperation and sadness seeping from Blake's words. Dylan stands up and walks past Blake, placing his hand on her shoulder so she follows.

"Hey!"

"Just follow me."

The two leave the library, and Blake follows Dylan's lead. He has his hands in his pockets, walking in a lazy fashion as he thinks on his next words. Eventually the two reach the edge of the docks, which instantly reminds Dylan of you. He's stealing your spot, this time around.

"I, uh… I didn't know anything but the White Fang. My parents were killed when I was only a year old, apparently, so Aza, my sister, was the only one who could look after me. She was only four or five herself, not fit to raise a baby. So, she took us to the White Fang for help. Apparently humans they… they killed our parents. That's likely the root of Aza's grudge against them."

Dylan starts waving his hands forward, confusing Blake. But once water begins to rise into view, Blake understands what he's doing. He starts manipulating the water to look like a young boy and young girl.

"So, I grew up in the White Fang with Aza, going to every protest and every rally, not really knowing or understanding what we were doing."

Blake watches as Dylan manipulates the water to tell his story. It shows the two children, along with a few others, holding signs like a protest. Blake relates to this more than Dylan knows. She was there too, as a child. But… something about his demonstration is beautiful. The detail in the water, the way it shimmers and flows. It's amazing to her; she can't stop looking at it.

"I knew it was changing, especially after Adam took charge. But… it was all I knew, and Aza told me we were doing the right thing. She was the only family I had, you know?" The water changes to show older versions of the two, and Dylan hopefully looking at Aza. "Her word was the only one I truly trusted. She said it was right. I said it was right. But… after some time, actually before you left, Blake," he mentions, looking over at her to meet her amber eyes. "I remember that. Adam was furious," he huffs, somewhat chuckling. Dylan shakes his head, looking back at the water figures.

"I got fed up with the killing, with everything. So, I left. I ran away." The water forms into Dylan running from a group, but they don't care. "And within that day… my conviction was torn. I…" Dylan struggles with his next words, unsure how to tell the story, what words to use, examples to pull. The water forms into Dylan being talked to by three men. "The police found me, thought I was White Fang still. I tried to tell them otherwise, but they didn't listen. I didn't want to fight back, so I let them. I thought I could convince them otherwise."

The three men start beating Dylan, and more show up to join in. Blake looks away to Dylan, seeing the anguish and despair.

"They tortured me, but I didn't fight back. For days they hurt me… days," his voice filled with venom. "And as they beat me. As they shouted… I changed. My thoughts on humans, on how they should be spared completely changed. I snapped. I killed them." The waters figures fade away – all but Dylan. "The hope I had was diminished by these men, and I returned to the White Fang, intent on ending humans."

"Dylan… I… can't say I know how you feel. I was never treated like that… but…"

"Blake, none of this is your fault. We were both blinded. Maybe… I don't know," Dylan shakes his head, and all the water falls back to the lake below. "I want to believe that there's a good side of the White Fang, a side that's been corrupted but still redeemable. Killing humans… killing other Faunus… That's not how to bring equality, or even 'justice.'" Dylan clenches his fist, his entire arm shaking from anger. "But that's all I knew, and now… to see it in a different light, all because of Slater… it's… hard for me to decide what the right choice is."

Blake thinks on this herself. She knows what's right and what is wrong, but it's different for him. But she knows one thing that has helped her. Blake takes a step closer to Dylan and places her hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe you need to take a lesson from Ruby. Maybe you're more like (Y/N) than you think."

"Tsk," Dylan rolls his eyes.

"Dylan… I know your situation better than anyone else. If you're unsure, then I'm here to help. Working together, we can return the White Fang back to what they were before," Blake reassures.

Dylan looks over at Blake, who seems far more confident than he is. Dylan smirks, then looks away.

"I guess I can't argue that. It'll be hard though."

"When's it not? But with enough work, we'll stop them. We'll find Roman."

Dylan raises his brow.

"Roman? You know him?"

Blake cringes.

"I do. He's the one I need to find."

Dylan thinks for a moment.

"I… know a few places Roman often visits. Perhaps we can check those places?"

At last, since the docks, Blake has lead.

"We'll have to wait though," Dylan continues. "He's not at every place every day. But it's a start."

Blake nods.

"We'll do this, Dylan. We will."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After some more conversation that isn't focused on the White Fang, Blake and Dylan finally retire. Having Dylan's room being closest, Blake volunteers to walk him there, to which Dylan gracefully accepts. Dylan reaches his room and flashes his scroll for entry. He's surprised that there's no more sneezing coming from the room. He's almost disappointed he won't get to see you suffer anymore.

Dylan and Blake enter the room to hear two distinct, light sounds. They look to your bed and see two people. There's you, under the blankets and sleeping peacefully. One of your hands are outside of the blankets, and linked to someone else. Your hand is under two layers. Your hand is cupping another hand, while that hand is acting as a pillow to a head. Blake leans on her hip and smiles at the sight. You and Ruby are sleeping peacefully, subtly snoring, almost cuddled together. There is some space between you and Ruby, but you're nearly spooning her.

Ruby suddenly shifts a bit, her face constantly smiling, and she gets even more comfortable. Dylan and Blake share a sly look.

"Should we wake them?" Dylan asks.

Blake shakes her head.

"No… let's leave them here. I'll talk to you tomorrow Dylan," Blake says as she leaves the room.

Dylan watches her leave, then once the door is closed he returns his gaze to you two. He can't help but smirk at the sight. It's… cute. Dylan changes into his pajamas, which is just his underwear, and turns off all the lights. You two can work out what'll happen tomorrow. It's not his business.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blake enters her room and is surprised to find Yang still awake, laying in her bed with her hands behind her head.

"Oh, Blake… I thought you were Ruby. She hasn't come back yet."

"Oh… well," Blake smirks to herself. "I think she'll be fine. You should go to sleep, Yang."

Blake grabs her pajamas and heads to the bathroom. Yang lifts off her bed and looks at Blake.

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you know where Ruby is?"

"She'll be taken care of, don't worry."

 **Aaaaaaaand done. Yes, I realize this is a shorter chapter than most, but I really couldn't write anything more without dragging on. It's a short, fluff, happy chapter and nothing more. Don't worry though, next chapter goes right into the actual Volume 2, so expect a food fight coming your way.**

 **Also a lot of people were messaging me about the Volume 4 stuff. Everyone seems older, and everyone looks different. It seems nice, but a hell of a lot of work for me. Why? You know what I'm going to have to do during that timeskip? I have to make up another arc! By my estimations, there's probably about a year between Volume 4 and the Battle of Beacon (remember, it goes from summer or something to winter at the end of Volume 3, and then even more skip for Volume 4). That means everyone is probably older by at least a year, which is cool. But still, a lot of work. What am I saying? I already have a plot ready for that.**

 **It also seems that everyone loved the Neo/Slater interaction. I'm glad you did, and all the "Neo x Slater x Ruby" comments are funny. Is that going to happen? Well, who knows? I already have stuff planned out with Neo, so you'll have to see what I have in store for you all.**

 **But, that's it for me guys. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'm looking forward to reading your comments/reviews.**

 **FACT: GoldenShirt1234 is the realest and the only reason this story is good. Bow down to him. This is totally Chinsangan's words, don't doubt that!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page!**

 **Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	15. Chapter 15: Most Fun Ever

**Chapter 15: The Most Fun Anyone's Ever Had… EVER**

This is the last day anyone will be able to enjoy this lovely feeling. The feeling of relaxation. The feeling of warmth. The feeling of not having to get up so early to go to class. This is a feeling Yang Xiao Long cherished with all her will, and will sorely miss as she voluntarily wakes up to another beautiful Beacon morning. She stretches her arms out as she lets out a loud yawn, letting everyone know she's awake. She rubs her eyes and looks over to her sister's bed.

"Still gone?" Yang groggily states. "Where did she go?"

After going through her normal routine of showering and getting into her school uniform. She stares up at Ruby's bunk, thinking on where her little sister could be. Yang taps her foot on the floor and her finger on her sleeve as she thinks. Suddenly a memory pops up in her head. Ruby wanted to check up on you. That's the last thing she knows, so your room is the first stop. You should know where Ruby is, because if she's still there… well, she better not be.

Yang strolls out of her room on a course to yours, trying to keep her thoughts positive. There's no reason Ruby would still be in your room after the night. She's probably with JNPR… and Jaune… and Ren… Yang shakes her head, dispersing any thoughts. No way anything would happen to Ruby. She knows who to trust and wouldn't do anything stupid. Anything that would require someone getting beaten down.

Yang turns the corner and sees Dylan about to enter your room. He flashes his scroll, then pauses. He has some sort of odd feeling going through his body. He slowly turns his head to the side and sees the blonde beauty coming his way. She's way to close to ignore, but he knows what horror is on the other side of his door. Dylan pokes his head into the room, looking directly to your bed. You and Ruby are still sleeping. Still snuggling. Dylan closes the door instantly then spins around to see Yang right in his face.

"H-Hey, Yang," Dylan greets, attempting to keep his composure. "What do you need?"

Blake looks over Yang's shoulder and sees Blake entering the building. She and Dylan lock eyes, instantly know the situation that has arisen.

"Are they still there?" Blake mouths.

Dylan subtly nods.

"Have you seen Ruby?" She asks very passively.

"Uh, no… no I ha- hey there's Blake!" Dylan shouts, pointing behind Yang.

"Traitor!" Blake mouths, stamping her foot.

Yang turns around to identify Blake.

"Blake! You said you knew where Ruby was, right? She didn't come back last night."

"Well," Blake stalls, rubbing the back of her head as she tries to think of some sort of excuse.

"He was with (Y/N), right? So he would know where she is. Is he in there?" Yang asks, turning to Dylan.

Dylan and Blake give each other a look, trying to think of anything to say that'll get Yang away from the room.

At the same time, Ruby's eyes slowly open. She feels very warm, both inside and out. For some reason she feels extraordinarily safe and happy. Ruby looks around, slowly registering that she's not in her room. Then her memory comes back. She was reading to you while you were sick. After an hour she noticed you'd fallen asleep, and was somewhat sleepy herself. She fixed your blankets, and somehow just fell asleep. After her mental recap, she realizes she's in your arms. Ruby feels like she should jump away, scream, and freak out about what's happening. But… she's… happy.

This is it. She can't deny it anymore. For days she was trying to decipher her own feelings with Blake's help. But not there's no more debating it. No more walks to think.

"I… I like you," Ruby whispers, chuckling at the realization. "I like you!"

Ruby slams her hand over her mouth, praying you weren't awake to hear that. Ruby slowly moves your arm off of her and onto your own leg, then slips out of your grasp. She gets to her feet and looks around the room.

She's glowing. She's smiling. Ruby couldn't be happier with this realization. But that's soon thrown away when she hears a voice.

"I'll wake him up," Yang insists. "Just let me see him."

Ruby freezes.

"Yang… oh no, she'll kill him," she moans, looking over at your peaceful state. "I gotta get out of here."

Ruby looks around the room. Her eyes instantly lock onto your window. She rushes to it, opens it up, and runs around the building to the entrance. Ruby enters the building and sees Blake, Dylan, and Yang – who is almost forcing herself into the room.

"Yang," Ruby whines. "What're you doing?"

Blake, Dylan, and Yang stop and look at Ruby, who is approaching them.

"Ruby?" Yang exclaims, her eyes returning to normal. "Where were you?"

"I woke up early. What's wrong? Is (Y/N) okay?" She asks with a fake worry.

Dylan and Blake share a look. Dylan looks at the room, to Ruby, back to his room, and ends on Blake.

"I don't know. I thought you might have been there," Yang admits.

"What? Yang, you're insane. Why would I be in (Y/N)'s room all night," Ruby playfully chuckles, though she feels bad for lying to her sister's face.

Yang sighs.

"Guess I overreacted. I'll go get breakfast. Are you guys coming?"

Blake nods.

"I was coming to get you anyways, Yang, so this ended well. I'll come."

"Same here. I'm staaaarving," Ruby whines, holding her stomach. "But I gotta get changed first. I'll meet you there!"

"Okay. Come on Yang," Blake speaks.

Yang and Blake walk out the exit, leaving Ruby and Dylan by their lonesome. The moment the two girls leave the building Dylan speaks.

"Were you not right there about five minutes ago?" Dylan asks to assure his own sanity.

Ruby sheepishly chuckles.

"Yeah, but I snuck out your window. Please don't tell Yang."

Dylan shakes his head.

"It's fine. Blake and I predicted this might happen when we saw you two last night. I was ac-"

"Wait you two saw?" Ruby blurts out, distressed.

Dylan nods his head.

"We did. It was… entertaining, I suppose. Though almost being beaten to a pulp by Yang wasn't something I was keen on. It's why I was coming to wake you two up, but Yang stopped me."

Ruby whines, resting her body against the wall.

"This suuucks. Now Blake knows who the boy is."

"I think Blake knew pretty early on."

"LET ME LIVE IN THE ILLUSION!" Ruby snaps, obviously not serious.

Dylan chuckles.

"Well, there's no point in me sticking around. I'll wake Slater, change into my uniform, and get breakfast. I suggest you do the same, minus waking up Slater."

With that, Dylan enters his room and leaves Ruby alone. Straight away he approaches your bed. As he does, he waves his hand in the air, collecting a small amount of water to wake you with. He stands at the edge of your bed.

"By his position, he even looks like he was with someone. You, Slater, are luckier than you deserve to be," he says to himself.

Dylan hovers the water of your head before allowing it to fall. The second the water splashes on your face you start flailing around, kicking the blankets off you.

"GAH! What was-" Your eyes catch Dylan standing in front of you. "Oooof course. You know you could just wake someone like a normal person. Just lightly shake me or something?"

"But that wouldn't be as entertaining for me," Dylan chuckles as

You roll your eyes.

"Sheesh, I'm surprised you don't have a water bed or something," you moan as you lift yourself onto your feet.

"Actually, I did see if I could get one for you. Unfortunately they don't allow them."

You snicker.

"For some reason, I think Glynda and Ozpin would make an exception for me."

"They do seem to favour you. Especially Glynda," he says as he fixes his cuffs.

You rub your eyes as you wake up.

"Yeah… speaking of which I have to talk to Ozpin again today."

Dylan sets the finishing touches on his uniform, then grabs his gauntlets.

"Right. Those 'talking sessions' you two are having. Have they helped at all?"

You get off your bed and head to the bathroom.

"Careful Dylan, you're starting to sound like you care," you wink.

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"And every time you remind me why I shouldn't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You make your way to Ozpin's tower in your casual clothes, of course. If you see Glynda you want to give her a reason to pick on you. Of course you have nothing against her, and, to your knowledge, she just sees you as… well she sees you as something. That's always been something you were confused on. Glynda sees you as a lot of things. She sees you as (Y/N). She sees you as Jet's son. She sees you as what she could have had. It's a lot of pressure for you, no doubt, but you know how to deal with Glynda now. It's weird to think, but after all this time you really do see Glynda and Ozpin as your mother and father. The way they act, the way they care, and the way they punish you. Well, Glynda's the one to punish you which usually ends with more work or that damndable demon stick she calls a weapon.

You chuckle at the thought of how many times she's threatened you with that, and how many times she's been one of the most caring people in the world. You're almost starting to regret not wearing the uniform just to annoy her. But that would be very uncharacteristic of you, and you can't allow that to happen.

Luckily you don't run into Glynda on your way there. Probably best for both of you. You approach the tower, which has many students from Beacon and other schools loitering around it. Surprisingly you recognize some of them from your time at other schools. You'd go talk to them, but you already have a goal you need to accomplish. With a smile on your face, you enter Ozpin's tower and head directly for the elevators. After a short ride with you make it to Ozpin's office. The door opens and you walk out, seeing Ozpin at his desk.

"You know, adding elevator music to that would make it a nicer ride," you playfully comment.

Ozpin smirks.

"I'll take it under advisement. Please, sit," he asks, gesturing you to take a seat.

As you have the past week, you take a seat in Ozpin's chair and lean back. Ozpin takes a sip of his coffee, though his eyes never leave you. He's waiting, like he has been this whole week. He sets the coffee down and gets straight to business.

"How have you been? Excited for classes tomorrow?"

You chuckle.

"Not really, no. I mean now I actually have to do work!"

"The humanity," Ozpin states.

"I know!" You laugh, getting a little excited. You rest back in your seat. "But I guess I'm… I don't know. I assume you're asking about what happened at the village?"

Ozpin nods.

"You've barely talked about it with me, or anyone. Just vague statements about how you're alright. I, along with other teachers, have noticed your… adverse sleeping pattern. It's something you've neglected to mention to me," he points out, taking another sip.

You sigh.

"I know. I just feel I can handle this, you know? I mean…" You huff. "Sometimes… sometimes I see them. It's like my parents, and feels just as real."

"Your parents?" Ozpin inquires, becoming more intrigued.

Knowing the cat's out of the bag, there's no point in telling him. Besides, he's likely the most trusted person for you right now. Him, Glynda… Ruby…

"I…" You fidget as you try to find a way to explain it. "Sometimes I dream of my parents. But every time it ends with that… that damn Beowolf. Dreams… whatever. They wake me up, I take a walk, and I fall back asleep. But now it's not just my parents. The rushing feeling of being trapped underground with that… thing. My heart beating as adrenaline rushes to every corner of my body, the conviction to survive that slowly cracks over time… all these things come back to me in my dreams. And sometimes…"

You push out of Ozpin's chair and start pacing around the room. Ozpin keeps calm, watching you the entire time.

"Sometimes it gets me when I'm awake. Seeing things that aren't there. Maybe it got worse when I trained to fight Grimm that weren't there. But… my parents would show up randomly, sometimes not even looking at me. My mother would stand there, my father would be training. But… they never had faces. I can't remember their faces," you admit, a small tear sliding down your face. You wipe it off, chuckling at your pettiness.

"Yet after the village I've started seeing more. I see the faces of those who were slaughtered that I failed to save! I see those White Fang who allowed the Grimm to kill everyone. I see that Grimm in the maze, it's blood red eyes, hunting me down in the darkness ready to strike and I CAN'T DO ANYTHING! I WASN'T ABLE TO DO ANYTHING!"

You take a moment to breath, which gives Ozpin time to think. You're obviously troubled by these events, even ones that happened over a decade ago. This happens to the best of Huntsmen, but generally happens years into their career, not as they're in training. Though you're a special case on multiple levels.

Ozpin spins his chair to the side and stands up in one slick motion. He moves in front of you, which slightly surprises you since you weren't paying attention to him.

"As Huntsmen, we're fated to see despair and death, even if we try our hardest to prevent it. But you, (Y/N), it seems you have more of a problem with it than most," Ozpin speaks as he stares at you with calming eyes. "Though you have been told by myself, Glynda, and even some of the students here that you must rely on others, this problem is yours alone and only you can fix it. The way I see it, you haven't been able to accept what you call your failures, and they're haunting you. If you allow them to continue, your mind will eventually break, and you'll no longer be who you are anymore."

You look away, accepting Ozpin's words. You… you never really accepted your parents' death – constantly blaming yourself for being an idiot to think you were strong enough. It was your fault. Now these people, the village. You weren't strong enough to defend them and they all died because of you. You were tortured by that Grimm because you weren't capable of killing it. You… couldn't do anything.

You crack a fake smile that quickly fades.

"So what do I do?"

"You have to learn that you will fail, and you must learn how to forgive yourself. I told you this before, but I've made more mistakes than anyone, but I will not let those failures determine who I am. You shouldn't either. A strong man, woman, and especially Huntsman, knows to build on those failures and to make them mean something."

Ozpin places his hand on your shoulder, causing you to look up into his warm eyes.

"Your parents would have died a thousand times for you to live. If you can't move past it for your sake, move past it for their sake. Make their deaths mean something, and become the best Huntsmen you possibly can. Those villagers that died? Learn from that so no one else suffers the same fate. It won't be easy," Ozpin admits, but then flashes you a smile. "But I think you can do it."

"Heh…" You weakly chuckle. "What makes you think that?" You ask, looking up at him with a weak smile.

"Well, you don't seem like someone who gives up very easy. The very fact you haven't let go of those events is some proof. Finally, it runs in your blood."

"Tsk… you really know how to make me doubt myself, Ozpin," you chuckle.

"Well, as a headmaster I'm required to give the best advice I can to my students, but also leave it to them on how to use it. I am glad that you finally showed some feeling after a week. I was waiting for it," Ozpin smirks as he makes his way back to his desk.

"Wait… you knew what was bothering me?" You question, taking a step towards his desk. "Why didn't you just bring it up day one?"

"Well," Ozpin starts before finishing his coffee. "Would you have been so open if I asked you about it? I have researched parenting methods for both my students and you. Sometimes it's best to allow them to come to me, especially when they're as stubborn as you are," Ozpin finishes, making sure to add that quick jab.

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With your meeting with Ozpin out of the way, your mind has now been enveloped with this new thought. Ozpin's brought forth a point of view that you didn't think of before. You always thought you were just odd. Or maybe your parents were haunting you. But the thought that you can't let go of their deaths, can't accept it, and can't move past it… you thought you did, but that seems doubtful now. Even the villagers have taken a spot in your mind.

"I have to make their deaths mean something… Become better… so I can save others from the same fate," you whisper to yourself as you walk along the grounds of Beacon.

You're barely paying attention to your surroundings as you think on those words. That is until someone calls you out and pulls you back into reality.

"There you are," a sharp, female voice calls out.

You shake your head and follow the sound of the voice to find Weiss Schnee, resident Ice Queen, marching towards you with her usual strut. She's… an interesting one, for sure.

"I was hoping to find you at breakfast, but I suppose thinking you'd follow any sort of schedule is too much to hope for," she says.

You let out a single chuckle.

"We see each other for the first time today and you're already dissing me, huh? No wonder people call you Ice Queen."

"Nobody calls me that," Weiss retorts. "And I'm here because I thought you'd like to accompany me somewhere."

This piques your interest, evident by your raised brow.

"Oh? Are we seeing another singing performance?" You joke.

"Quiet, you liked it!" She accuses, to which you shrug at. "Anyway, today's the day that Tuckson fellow is leaving Vale. I thought you'd want to see him off."

You recoil a bit in surprise. This is not what you were expecting at all from Weiss. You assumed some sort of complaining or request of some kind. But this one is…

"Weiss… are you being… nice?" You smile.

Weiss turns her head away from you.

"If you don't want to go then we won't," Weiss firmly decides.

Though you love bothering Weiss, you know the limits of each person. Right now Weiss is actually trying to be a good person, which she really is. It's all hidden under her cold, uptight attitude. You slip your hands into your pockets and lazily shrug.

"Alright Weiss, if you want to go then lets go. I got nothing to do today."

Weiss raises her brow.

"Have you eaten yet?" She asks with concern.

You wave your hand at her.

"Nah, I'll eat at lunch. Come on, and… why not change your outfit? I don't want anyone thinking I have a schoolgirl fetish."

"Scho- shut up you dunce! I'd never dress up for you!" Weiss screams.

You laugh as you walk away, checking out all the people whose attention Weiss has attracted.

"Come on Weiss, you're making a scene," you casually say, happily strolling.

Weiss harshly stares at you as you walk away.

"You're impossible!" Weiss says under her breath as she catches up with you.

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After changing, you and Weiss take an airship to Beacon. You and Weiss sit side by side, both with entirely different statures. Weiss, as always, is sitting proper with her legs crossed and her hands placed on said legs. You on the other hand… you're sleeping. Weiss can barely stay sane with your impossible behavior. Though you have a right to with your extreme lack of sleep lately. Last night was alright, but the rest of the week was hell. Thus taking a nap on the ride is necessary for you.

Weiss somewhat knows this too. She's not one to stay sleeping throughout the night either, whether that be because of studying or just being unable to fall asleep like her teammates. She's seen you walking around at night, though she's yet to approach you about it. She knows it's likely due to what happened a week ago, and something else that you spoke to Ozpin and Glynda about when you got back.

It's aggravating for Weiss. She wants to know more about you, wants to help you just like all your friends, but you refuse to speak about it. Only when you were pushed to the very edge of your sanity did you speak about your past, and they almost lost you at that point. Obviously Weiss has no intention to push you to the edge, but it's obvious that things are on your mind that are throwing you off. She may get annoyed by your constant pestering and terrible jokes, but it's who you are, who she's gotten used to, and wouldn't want to lose that. You're far more tolerable than Jaune when he's trying to swoon her, that's for sure.

She looks over at the sleeping you. Surprisingly you look… very peaceful. She can almost make out a very small smile at the edge of your lips. Weiss leans her head in front of you so she can see it. It's a very innocent smile. No sarcasm, no idiot jokes. Just a genuine smile. Weiss shakes her head and returns to her regular position. Just looking at you like that is odd and doesn't need to be seen by anyone, especially with other students onboard.

Weiss watches over you until the ship docks in Vale. She lightly shakes you.

"Wake up, we're here," Weiss informs.

Your eyes slowly open as you gain your bearings.

"Hm? Oh, sure. One second, let me just… open… my eyes…."

Weiss watches as your eyes slowly close once more. She shakes you more violently.

"Come on! We haven't got all day!" She demands as she lifts you onto your feet.

This finally wakes you up.

"Alright! Alright!" You argue. "I'm up."

You stretch your back as you both walk to the exit side by side. You and Weiss leave the airship and immediately head for Tuckson's.

"So you know he's still there?" You ask as you position your hands behind your head.

"The flight leaves in a few hours, so there's a likely chance he'll be there. If anything he'll just be leaving," Weiss speaks with clarity.

"Hm, alright. Let's not dilly dally."

"Dilly… dally?" Weiss repeats with confusion.

You shake your head and sigh.

"I swear, some of you just do not know my language," you say in disappointment.

"I think you're just making up some words sometimes," Weiss admits.

After walking and a bit of bickering, you and Weiss trek your way through the city to get to Tuckson's. Once you both turn the corner you instantly notice a difference with Tuckson's store. The sign is gone, and the windows are far darker than they were before. You and Weiss approach it anyway and open the door. A bell goes off as you open it, followed by a voice.

"I'm sorry, but the store's closed," a voice shouts from the back.

"Oh, darn. I wanted to say goodbye to the owner," you say in response.

There's a silence when it comes to words, but you can both hear a hurried rustling in the back of the shop. Soon enough, Tuckson scurries out of the back to see you.

"You're here!" He says, a smile on his face.

You take a step and lightly shake your hands to the side.

"In the flesh, yeah. Wanted to see you off before you head out. Where are you sending him?" You ask, turning to Weiss.

"I came up with a few places, but Mistral seemed to be the best bet. I believe Tuckson requested it as well."

Tuckson nods at her statement.

"I did. I have friends there that will help me until I can… stabilize my life. But I have you two to thank most of all. Without you… I don't know what might have happened."

You approach Tuckson, standing face-to-face with him. You smirk, then extend your hand forward. He looks down at it only to stare for a moment.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging," you comment.

Tuckson nods, then shakes your hand firmly. Once you let go, he looks over at Weiss.

"I have you to thank as well, Ms. Schnee. If I can ever help you, either of you, then never hesitate to ask."

Weiss gracefully nods.

"Of course. It's my pleasure."

Tuckson takes his leave and walks towards the back room, only to be back in seconds with a duffle bag.

"Would you like us to walk you there?" You offer.

Tuckson shakes his head, flattered at the offer.

"No, but thank you. Visiting me before I go is enough. But we can all leave the building together."

You, Tuckson, and Weiss exit the empty building for the last time. Once outside Tuckson takes a second to stare at his building.

"Lots of memories here, but… well, there's more ahead. Thank you both, again, and I wish you luck."

You too, Tuckson! Stay safe," you smile, giving him a thumbs up.

Tuckson nods, then takes his final leave. He walks away from the store to his next destination. You and Weiss watch as he leaves in complete silence.

"Heh… maybe I can't save them all. But… I managed to save him," you whisper.

"Hm? What'd you say?" Weiss asks, though she's quickly throw off when you wrap your arms around her.

"Weiss," you whisper in her ear. "Thank you for this. Thank you for helping me."

Weiss can hear the genuine nature to your voice. You're really grateful. In any other circumstance she would push you away, maybe punch you, and yell at you for acting like such a dunce. But this time, given the circumstances and the pure reason behind this hug, she'll let it slide. This isn't something to woo her or anything. This is a simple hug, though Weiss blushes at it nonetheless. To not make it too awkward, Weiss slowly wraps her hands around you, reciprocating the hug.

"Y-Yeah… don't mention it. Seriously," she nervously threatens.

You smile as you let her go.

"I won't. Least I can do." You look back at Tuckson. "Well… I guess we should head back to Beacon. But… how about we take the long way, huh?" You suggest.

Weiss shrugs.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind. But you have to promise not to make any stupid jokes," she haggles.

"Oh come on, that's like… ninety percent of my vocabulary!" You whine.

In the distance, as you and Weiss talk, two people watch the entirety of this event transpire.

"Well that was a wasted effort," a green haired woman huffs.

"Well, we can blame it on Roman. He was the one who was supposed to go after him. Why didn't we just walk in there? We could have taken them," the silver haired man responds.

"Maybe, but I don't think Cinder would have liked that. Come on, let's head to the warehouse," she commands as she walks away.

"Sheesh, you're really no fun today."

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After a few hours of wandering around town with Weiss, the two of you head back to Beacon. The main reason being you're starving and don't want to spend the little lien you have. Weiss would pay for you without question, but you don't want her money when you can both just eat back at Beacon. But you both need your uniforms, so you split up for that.

You finally fit into the deathtrap that is your uniform. It doesn't matter how many times you wear it, it feels too stiff and tight. It's almost as if it hasn't conformed to you at all. Almost like it's a new suit every time. Begrudgingly you deal with it and head to the cafeteria. Unfortunately there's nobody to walk with, so it's a rather lonely walk to the building. Not literally since a bunch of students are headed there as well, but you don't really talk to any of them, so it's lonely in a social sense.

Once you shuffle into the cafeteria along with dozens of other students. You enter the line to grab some food, get a plate full of different fruits, vegetables, and meat, then are sent away. You stroll through the building trying to find someone you know. Luckily Yang's vibrant hair is easy to pick out in a crowd. The addition of Weiss' white hair helps too. You slide your way through the tables and reach the rest of your friends.

"Hey (Y/N). Here, let me move over," Yang offers, scooching over to make room for you.

You sit at the edge of the table and set your food down. You look down the table to get a feel for your situation. Beside you is Yang, then Blake, then Dylan, and finally Weiss. Sitting at a table across from you is team JNPR.

"So, anything interesting happen?" You ask, stirring up conversation as you dig into your food.

"I'm trying to see how many I can catch in a row," Yang says as she leans her head to the side just in time to catch a grape in her mouth.

You sigh, and look down the table once more. Blake and Dylan seemed to be focused on some notebook – not even paying attention to the world around them. Weiss is drinking some tea as she looks back at you. You playfully wink at her before turning to team JNPR.

"Where were you this morning, (Y/N)?" Jaune politely asks right before Nora throws a grape.

"Well, I had to go see someone. Probably why I'm so hungry now," you chuckle. "But, I'm probably gonna be quiet until I have my fill of food."

"You? Quiet? Is that even possible?" Pyrrha comments.

Everyone, save Dylan and Blake, look at Pyrrha. She frantically looks between everyone.

"What?" She cries.

"Did you just dis me?" You ask before eating an entire apple whole.

"I… I'm sorry," she says in defeat.

"No!" You shout, then start choking on the apple. You pat your chest until the apple goes down. "It was just unexpected. I thought Weiss was going to say something like that, not you."

"That is something I would say," Weiss agrees, nodding her head.

Yang looks over at Blake and Dylan once she notices their not even paying attention to the conversation. She slides closer to Blake, throwing her off.

"Whatcha doin?" She curiously asks.

Blake instantly closes her book.

"Nothing! Just… going over notes from last semester. Making sure Dylan knows everything he'll need to."

Dylan nods in approval. Yang's eyes catch another grape incoming, then catches it in her mouth.

"Lame."

This time you're not in the conversation, instead noticing Ruby walking into the building with an extremely large and packed binder. She almost seems like she's struggling to hold it. You follow her with your eyes until she reaches your table. As soon as she makes it she slams the book down… right on your food.

You fall onto the book, tears flowing down your face.

"Why," you whine.

Ruby clears her throat, gaining the attention of all her friends.

"Sisters, friends, Weiss."

"Hey!"

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream," Ruby declares, starting her speech.

"I had a dream to eat," you tear, soiling the front of the binder.

"There there," Yang pats your head before catching another grape.

"A dream that we can show our new friends," she says as she directs her hands towards you and Dylan, though her focus seems to be more on you. "That team RWBY can show them the most fun anyone has ever had," Ruby struggles to find the word. "Ever!" She blurts out.

"Why is this necessary?" Dylan whispers to Blake.

"I'm not sure, just let her have this," she responds.

"Wait… is that my binder?" Weiss asks as the realizations dawns on her.

"It's my throne of loss," you mumble.

"So what exactly does this involve?" Dylan inquires, intrigued with what the young woman has in store.

"It involves kicking off the semester with a bang! Sh-"

"Or how about we kick it off… with a Yang!" Yang smugly says, looking for some approval. "Hey? Guys? Am I right?"

Everyone rolls their eyes in disappointment at Yang's pun. Nora throws an apple at Yang, which hits her nose directly.

"Boooo!"

"An apple!" You moan as you reach out for it, but it's just out of reach. "I'll never have what I desire."

"Look, guys," Ruby starts, trying to get back on track. "It's been a crazy two weeks, and between all the new exchange students AND the tournament at the end of the month, our second, and their first, semester is going to be great! But with classes starting up tomorrow I thought everyone can take part in a series of wonderful events I've planned out."

"Does any of that involve eating," you whine as you just manage to touch the apple with your finger. However Yang grabs it and throws it back at Nora, which misses her and hits someone else.

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store," Weiss pitches in.

"I don't know," Blake huffs. "I think I'm going to sit this one out."

"I have to agree. Relaxing seems the best thing to do before starting school," Dylan adds.

"Eating is nice too."

"Well, whatever we do I think we should do it as a group!" Weiss declares before standing up.

You start to hear Nora rustling, and Yang whispering a constant "no".

"I for one, think that-"

And it happened. The most beautiful thing you've witnessed since coming to Beacon. A desert flies through the air and hits Weiss directly in the face, covering her already pale complexion with the white cream. Everyone's jaws drop, while you start laughing, and everyone looks over at Nora. She sits back down and points to Ren, who is face palming, in an attempt to shift the blame.

"You…" Weiss mumbles, collecting the cream off her face. "You'll pay!" She yells as she throws the glob back at Nora. Nora ducks out of the way, but the glob continues on and hits the student behind her. He freezes in shock, slowly realizing what just happened to him. He stands up and turns around, looking at the eight of you, though your face is still lying on the binder. Your tears of despair have turned into ones of laughter by this point.

The students scans you all, unsure of who to blame for the food splattered on his back. Thus, in retaliation, he grabs his entire plate of food and whips it at all of you. You quickly lift the binder in front of your face to block anything from hitting you. Weiss, Dylan and Blake duck under the table, team JNPR jumps to the side, and Ruby backs up. That only leaves Yang to be hit with the full force of salad, dressing, yogurt, and sandwich condiments. The food slowly seeps out of her hair and onto the floor. Her eyes flicker red as she grabs the entire table.

"Food fight!" She screams at the top of her lungs, flinging the entire table forward. You grab Ruby's book and smoothly leap back, slipping yourself out of the table entirely and landing near the window. All the food on the table flies through the air, hitting JNPR, and every table behind them.

"Ooooh, this is not going to end well," you sigh. "All this food…"

In an instant the entire row starts throwing food at everyone else, be it friend or teammate. You notice Nora grab Jaune and throw him at Yang, sending the blonde spiraling through the air. You toss Ruby's binder aside and jump in the way, catching Jaune but still slamming into the window behind you.

"Gahhh," Jaune moans before shaking his head. "Thanks (Y/N)."

"Yeah, but I'd get with your team. This is about to get nasty," you tell him as you watch pure chaos engulf the once peaceful building. Nora starts running through the room, grabbing tables and throwing them to the very end, laughing maniacally the entire time. Ren and Pyrrha follow close behind, with Jaune lagging at the end. Team RWBY is nowhere to be seen, and food is flying about everywhere. You bob your head a few times avoiding the stray breadstick and sausage that comes your way.

"Christ, what has happe- Whoa!" You front flip over a table tumbling towards you.

You land on your feet then look around. At the end of the building seems to be some sort of fort with Nora throwing food at every poor soul within the vicinity.

"How did she even make a fort?" You shout.

Realizing their defeat, students start fleeing the building as if their lives depended on it. Nora laughs at the weak as they run from her power.

"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" Nora chants, standing at the very top of the fort while her team stands at different levels around her.

You're absolutely shocked at how quickly the building turned into a complete mess. Plates, cups, utensils, food, tables, chairs… everything is scattered all over the building.

From the other side a lone warrior stands up to the queen. Ruby grips her milk, pointing towards Nora.

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be," Ruby squeezes her milk so hard that it erupts from its containment, then throws her hand in the air. "DELICIOUS!"

"YEAH!" The rest of her team cheers.

"You, lone one! Choose your side!" Nora shouts, pointing at you, who's right in the middle of the two teams. "Shall you side with the Valkyrie Empire?"

"Please never let that be a thing," you say to yourself.

"Or will you join those traitors!" She snarls, looking at RWBY with disgust.

"Actually, I, ha, I'm gonna be on my own team with Dylan. Right Dylan?" You say, looking around for your roommate. You finally spot him with team RWBY.

"DYLAN! What're you doing?"

"What?" He asks as if he's done nothing wrong. "I'm not standing in between these two. I'm not an idiot."

You slouch your shoulders and sigh.

"I can never have back-up, can I?"

"So you join us?" Ruby asks with a sparkle in her eye.

"No! This is-"

"You choose nobody," Nora states.

"YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO FACE DELICIOUS JUSTICE!" Ruby screams.

"What is happening?" You shout.

"Off with their heads! And start with the lone one!" Nora shouts as she jumps to the floor, landing behind a table full of watermelons.

You notice her entire team seems to have watermelons ready like catapults, since each member launches a barrage of them at you and RWBY.

"AND YOU CALL ME CHILDISH!" You scream.

You slide back, dodging a few melons.

"Yang! Turkeys!" You hear Ruby shout behind you, but you have no time to look back.

You stand your ground as the overwhelming assault of melons rains down upon you. You open your palms and get ready.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," you huff.

As melons come down on you, you gracefully toss them in another direction with your palms with little to no effort since you're only adjusting them slightly. But after redirecting three, they fall too fast and force you to start handspringing back. As you're going back you get glimpses of people running towards you. If you're right, it's Yang and Blake. You finish your hand spring, slide your foot around and throw your back down to avoid a turkey punch from Yang. Your momentum brings you around so that you're facing Yang's back, but you quickly leap into the air to avoid Blake's bread stick attack.

Yang ignores you since you're out of her way, then shoots the turkeys forward at Pyrrha. She rolls out of the way, but Jaune's unaware of the impending attack. The turkeys hit square in the head and chest, knocking the man to the floor.

"Weiss, where's the condiments?" Dylan quickly asks.

Weiss points to her stock of ketchup and mustard bottles. Dylan grabs one of each then sprints in to join the fray since Pyrrha has handily taken out Blake and Yang.

You land on a table in the way of Ruby's surfing.

"You're not getting away!" She shouts as she lifts both herself and the trey into the air to attack you.

You're not going to talk any sense into anyone right now, the best you can do is… do what you're always doing, which is kicking everyone's butt all on your own. You jump towards Ruby, maneuvering your body so you're legs are towards her. You both clash feet, the trey being the only thing separating the two of you. You use all your might to push back, sending Ruby flying away to land on one of the tables. You and the trey are sent towards Pyrrha, who's waiting to strike at you. You kick the trey to your hand and lay your forearm on it. Once you hit the ground the trey slide you across with only your sheer muscle endurance keep the rest of your body off the ground. You shift your arm so the trey spins, then you launch off it, driving your feet into Pyrrha's stomach before kicking off and sending her to the floor. You land back on the trey and slide the other way, almost running away from Nora and Ren who are hot on your heels. You look ahead of you and see Dylan and Weiss, also running towards you. You're stuck right in the middle.

You frantically push off the trey and to the side. You stumble, back handspring onto a table, then flip off of it to get some stability. You look ahead to see Weiss spray ketchup all over the ground which throws Ren off balance and crashing into some tables. Nora uses those tables to get past it, grabs one of the poles used for flags, and as she lands, stabs it into a watermelon. The resemblances instantly becomes clear to you.

"She'll kill us all…" You shiver.

Somehow Ren bounces back quickly and goes after Dylan. Nora, on the other hand, goes straight for Weiss. Before she can connect Ruby slides in front, taking the hit so Weiss can get out of the way to grab a weapon of her own – that weapon being a swordfish.

You watch from the sidelines, forgetting you're part of this whole show. Pyrrha and Blake on the other hand remember. Pyrrha especially, since she has a debt to pay. The two grab breadsticks as they run towards you. At this point you notice and slowly pray for your wellbeing. The two close in on you, Blake jumping to get an attack from above while Pyrrha just runs straight at you. You push off your foot and glide towards Pyrrha, getting out of Blake's range. Pyrrha pushes off her own foot and flies directly at you for one of her signature jabs. Unfortunately for you, you have no escape at the moment. You take the breadstick to the chest, breaking it on impact. You bounce across the ground before stabilizing yourself, then look back up at Pyrrha who now has more melons. But you completely forget about Blake, who uses her semblance to appear right in front of you to deliver a small combo which you can't dodge.

She hits every joint with those sticks until she attempts a straight shot. You roll out of the way, then, after noticing Pyrrha has thrown one of her melons, you push yourself to a handstand to dodge the impact. Pyrrha grabs another breadstick and rushes you at the same time Blake attacks. You twist your wrists, spinning your body around like a top. You extend your feet, using them like a weapon to keep both girls, who are now on either side of you, at bay. Pyrrha slips under one foot and smashes your arm with the stick. You lose your momentum, meaning you need to get out of that position. Using all the strength you can muster up you push yourself towards the window, getting a little breathing room. The girls chase you right away, but you have a plan.

You land against the window, bending your knees to absorb the minor shock. Being in this positon, you leap off the window right at the girls attack. You turn around as you soar through the air and land right against a knocked over table, but using the momentum you flip backwards, land on your back while using your arms to slightly brake the fall, and kick the table towards the girls. Having nowhere to go the table hits and pins them against the wall. You slide back a foot due to the force, then spring to your feet. You notice a string of sausages at your feet, so you pick that up, swing it around you a bit, and then attack the two.

"Eat this!" You shout at the line hits the girls. "Ha! Get it? Cause it's foo-"

A large bang erupts, followed by the sound of Yang screaming while she flies out of the building. Pyrrha throws the table off of her and Blake – towards you. You hop away so it doesn't hit you, and Blake has the same idea, though she grabs the sausage line as she does this. Like you, she whips it around before hitting Nora, forcing the girl to drop her weapon as she slams into a vending machine. Nora's aware of the cans and begins throwing them at Blake. Pyrrha regroups close to her soda-throwing friend, and notice all the cans lying around. She takes control of them all, then sends a slithering line towards Blake and Dylan. The sheer amount of them is too much, and they're thrown across the room in a flurry of colours, liquid, and broken cans.

Luckily she didn't get you, so you're standing near the middle again. You get ready for whatever could be thrown at you next. Immediately you notice Ruby standing up, the last one for her team. She gets ready then sprints forwards creating a vacuum behind her to suck up everything.

"That… isn't good. I'm gonna move," you reassure yourself.

You look around, looking for somewhere to go. The supports above have small place to hang onto. You bend down, gathering energy, then spring into the air. You reach those supports and grab on, completely out of the way of Ruby's assault. Ruby turns into a red bullet with rose pedals swarming behind her. She's creating a tornado as she runs, sucking up everything, which includes team JNPR. Ruby stops before she hits the wall, which makes the wall crack at the force she was generating. Ruby jumps out of the way of the tornado she's created. Team JNPR slams against the wall, followed by all the food, soda, and plates. Ruby lands in front of her abstract food painting, waiting for JNPR to slowly peel off and fall to the floor.

You jump from your location and land near the middle of the room.

"Hey Little Red! You missed one!" You shout, casually strolling to the very middle of the room.

Ruby looks up at you and smiles.

"I'll take you down, (Y/N)!"

"Like you could!" You chuckle.

Ruby gets back into position then sprints towards you. You run as fast as you can at her, though not nearing her speed in the slightest. She becomes nearly invisible to you, but you can still slightly see her. You jump forward and throw a fist. Ruby spins out of her hood cocoon and throws her own punch. You both yell as you close in on each other. Once you're both face to face, time seems to slow down. You're both smiling; hearts pounding from pure adrenaline. Your fists slowly pass by both heads, but neither of you really care. You're both having so much fun right now. Knowing you're gonna crash into each other, you both grab onto the back of each other's necks. Time seems to return to normal and you both spiral across the room and slam into one of the pillars. You slide down the wall, holding Ruby so she isn't hurt at all. Ruby's face is buried into your chest, secretly enjoying the moment. She slowly lifts her silver eyes to meet yours.

"I guess you beat me, huh?" You chuckle.

Ruby shrugs.

"I would call it a victory."

You move Ruby off of you and look around the room to everyone else who's recovering. As your eyes scan the room they're instantly drawn to something godly lying on the floor. It's beautiful. It's savoury. It's a steak. Your eyes glow at the sight of the beautiful food. You scurry towards the meat and grab it, then stands up displaying the food. Ruby watches you, giggling at your childish behavior.

"You know, Little Red, I was really curious why I joined in on this. But it seems something was at _steak_!" You joke, looking at her with a confident glare.

She shakes her head in disappointment but can't help but let out a laugh. Soon enough the rest of the group joins you all, along with an extra. Ms. Goodwitch stares in anger at the destroyed cafeteria. She waves her riding crop, taking control of everything and putting it back together, completely dismissing the two students standing at the door.

You go to take a bite out of your steak, but it suddenly floats out of your hand and joins everything else being fixed by the teacher.

"NO!" You cry with a high pitch voice, then start sobbing. "I can never have nice things."

Your friends chuckle, including Dylan. Soon enough everything is set in place, though Ms. Goodwitch's anger has not dwindled. Then again, neither has yours.

You crack your knuckles.

"Alright, I have a beef with you for stealing my beef!" You mumble, stepping towards her.

Lucky for you she didn't hear you, else you might get some sort of punishment.

"Children, please. Do not play… with your food," she requests with a calm anger.

You stop in your tracks, taking in what she said.

"Okay, I can't be mad at that," you sigh, crossing your arms.

"Are you really that mad?" Ruby asks, her brow raised.

"Hey! I'm hungry! Hm… Hey, Ms. Goodwitch! Can you give me that steak? Please?" You ask with a cocky smile.

Ms. Goodwitch squints at you, then sighs.

"Very well," she concedes, flicking her wrist so the steak moves to you.

You grab the steak, ecstatic for the food. You're about to take a bite when something crashes through the ceiling and lands right on you. You lose grip on the food as you splat on the ground. Yang rubs her head as she gets to her feet, barely hurt thanks to you. As she stands up she notices the steak lying on the ground.

"Oh hey!" She gleefully lets out, grabbing the steak and taking a bite.

Yang keeps standing on you, which causes you to cry from the pressure of the busty blonde and your loss of food to said blonde. Everyone starts laughing uncontrollably at your misfortune. Glynda growls, ready to tear you all apart. But someone strolls behind her and places a hand on her back.

"Let it go," Ozpin calmly states.

Glynda looks back at him, sighs, and then turns to the students.

"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world, and all (Y/N) cares about his appetite."

Ozpin looks down at your weeping state, solemnly smiling at the sight.

"They will be, but right now they're still children. So why not let them play the part?" Ozpin advises before walking away. "After all, it's not a role they'll have forever, and not one (Y/N) has experienced in a long time."

Glynda can't deny Ozpin's words, especially when it comes to you. You really seem to be enjoying your life, even if you're crying in despair. Though the sight of you being pinned to the ground, crying. It… reminds her of something…

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 _Glynda returns to her dorm only to be surrounded by her female teammates. They're all looking at her with wide eyes and excited faces._

" _What?" Glynda blurts out, not used to the attention._

 _The one right in front of her pulls out a letter and pushes it against Glynda's chest._

" _Someone got a note from their booooyfrieeend," she sings._

 _Glynda's cheeks heat up._

" _From Jet? Alright, give it to me."_

G _lynda grabs the note and starts reading. Her teammates huddle around her, looking over her shoulder to read the note themselves. In short, it's a request for Glynda to meet Jet in the ball room at…_

" _6:30?" Glynda whispers aloud._

" _That's in three minutes!"_

 _Glynda internally panics. She has no idea what to expect. Should she dress up? Should she bring something? What in Remnant is Jet planning? The only way to answer that is to meet him. Glynda stuffs the note in her pocket and turns to her friends. They all stare at her with anticipation._

" _So what're you gonna do?" One shouts._

 _Glynda softly smiles._

" _Well I'm not gonna leave him there. I'll see what he wants."_

 _Glynda grabs her riding crop, locks it against her hip, and strolls out of her room. She quickly walks through the grounds of her school to the ball room. How Jet managed to reserve it she has no idea, and what's planned for her is completely unknown. Glynda slowly opens the door and looks around the room. There's… nothing much. It's rather empty, save Jet on a ladder meddling with some sort of ball. In fact he's basically straddling the ball with only one leg stabilizing himself on the ladder._

" _Jet?" Glynda speaks._

' _Wha- Whoa!" Jet turns to Glynda but loses his footing, grabbing onto the ball entirely._

 _The ball cannot sustain his weight, however, and the cable breaks. Jet falls underneath the balls and crashes onto the floor, thundering through the room and making Glynda wince._

" _Jet!" She screams, running towards him._

 _She reaches him and the sight is… unpleasant. Some blood is splattered around his position along with broken shards of the ball. The ball remains on Jet while he fake cries._

" _Why me," he whines._

 _Glynda sighs in relief. She forgot about his healing semblance for a time, likely due to initial panic. Glynda unclips her riding crop and moves the ball off of Jet. His body has already healed any damages he sustained, but the chest area of his uniform is completely wrecked. Jet gets to his feet and brushes off some shards._

" _Man, this is my fifth uniform," Jet huffs as he examined his wounds. He then shrugs. "Well, no point in wearing it anymore," he says as he grabs what's left of the shirt and tosses it to the floor._

 _He's a toned man that isn't extremely big, similar to his brother, Harrier. The two often joke around with their stature, but Jet is the one who's eager to rip off his shirt. Harrier is usually more refined than that. Of course Glynda doesn't mind these times of no shirt._

 _Jet turns his attention to Glynda._

" _What're you even doing here?" He politely asks._

 _Glynda pulls out his note and shows it to him._

" _You said be here by 6:30, so I'm here," she explains._

 _Jet squints as he reads the writing. Once he notices the time he slaps his forehead._

" _Ah, man. That's supposed to be an eight. Looks like the number was smudged," he says with disappointment. "I guess my whole plan is kinda ruined, not that it was going well anyway."_

 _Glynda giggles, covering her mouth with some fingers._

" _And what, pray tell, went wrong with your foolproof plan this time?"_

" _You have no idea! Harrier and the others were supposed to help me set up, but none of them have showed up! They were supposed to be here half an hour ago! But no, I have to get EVERYTHING set up, which, by the way, I had no clue what I was doing with that thing; I have no knowledge of electronics and the ball was supposed to be glowing but… You were mocking me, weren't you?" Jet finally realizes, squinting at Glynda._

 _Glynda moves to his side and places a kiss on his cheek._

" _As observant as ever. So, seriously, what's this all about?"_

 _Jet lets his shoulders sag._

" _Well, remember I said I would ask you to the dance in the most extravagant way ever? Well, this was supposed to be it! That darn smudge ruined it all though."_

 _Glynda lightly drags her fingers along his shoulder._

" _Well, you could just ask me and see what I say."_

 _Jet raises his brow and looks over at the blonde who's obviously in a seducing mood._

" _Alright. Glynda," he starts, spinning to his knees and grabbing her hand. "Will you… go to a school dance with me?"_

 _Glynda thinks on it for a moment._

" _Hm, no. I think I'll go with Harrier," she teases._

 _Jet springs to his feet._

" _WHAT?"_

 _Glynda bursts out laughing, then kisses him._

" _I'm kidding. Of course I'll go with you."_

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Glynda shakes her head at the memory of her lost lover, then her eyes focus on his son, who's still being stepped on by Yang.

"I suppose even we were children at that age," she whispers.

Yang finally steps off you, still eating your prized steak. You get to your feet, tear tracks evident on your face. Before you can say anything Glynda speaks to you all.

"Alright students, please exit the cafeteria. We don't need any more destruction in here!"

"We… will settle this outside," you growl at the brawler.

Yang tilts her head to the side as she chews the food, taunting you.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A Bullhead approaches the docking area to Beacon. The doors are closed, the engine is roaring, and the anticipation of the man inside is growing, along with his excitement. Once the Bullhead gets into position the pilot looks back at the man.

"Opening the doors. Stand back!"

He doesn't answer. He waits for the door to open. True to the pilot's word, the door begins to open. Sun brings light to the area once shrouded with shadow, and his face is finally revealed. Thankfully his black glasses protect his eyes from the shining sun. Warmth hits patches of his dusty, grey cloak that reaches just to his nose and falls all the way to his ankles, just allowing his black shoes to see light. His brown, slicked back hair is lightened by the light, along with his face. He slowly steps out of the Bullhead and saunters into Beacon's grounds.

Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck, who're taking in the sights before classes start tomorrow, see the man entering Beacon. The newcomer looks over at the Huntsmen and smiles, though they can only tell by the creases on his face formed by the smile.

"Peter Port and Bartholomew Oobleck," he greets, his voice friendly yet condescending. "Long time no see, though it seems you've chosen a comfier lifestyle. Still have that bust of yourself, Peter?" He questions.

The two teachers share a concerned look at the sight of this man. Dr. Oobleck pulls out his scroll and quickly types in a message to Professor Ozpin. Port continues to stare at the man as he continues his casual stroll into Beacon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ozpin and Glynda reach the CCT's elevator. After dispersing the students, the two had some things to discuss when it comes to you and Dylan Brine. However, Ozpin stops in his tracks when he hears his scroll. Glynda waits patiently beside him as Ozpin reads the message.

"Glynda, where is (Y/N)?" He calmly asks.

Glynda thinks for a moment.

"I believe him and Ruby Rose left the others shortly after leaving the cafeteria. Their exact whereabouts, I know not. Why? Is something the matter?"

"I… believe it would be wise for us to find them. Now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You and Ruby laugh as you walk towards the fountain.

"So you lost your binder?" You confirm.

"Well, it was Weiss' binder, but yeah. Seems I went a little overboard at the end and basically ripped it all apart. I spent so much time on those plans," she sulks.

You place your hand on her shoulder, making her jump in surprise and blush at the same time.

"Well, that was pretty fun on its own. But maybe we can do anything you can remember? I wouldn't mind seeing what your crazy little head came up with," you joke, yet say to comfort her.

Ruby looks up at you, cheeks red, and giggles.

"Well it's not that crazy just a couple activities I really like so maybe everyone can get together and we'll do them but you totally got to come," Ruby rapidly spews.

You chuckle, then pat her shoulder before taking your hand off her entirely.

"Of course I'll be there. What's something you remember?"

Ruby thinks for a moment, moaning as she does so.

"I have a board game I want us to play!" She declares.

"Well, let's start with that. We'll head back to our dorms and-"

"(Y/N)!" Ozpin shouts, gaining both yours and Ruby's attention.

He and Glynda march up to you.

"Please, (Y/N), come with me. I have something important to discuss with you," Ozpin states.

"Oh… uh… sure, I guess. I mean, I was going to hang out with Ruby but-"

"Glynda!" A voice calls out.

Glynda freezes at the sound. She knows that voice. The four of you turn to see the cloaked man standing proudly a short distance away. Glynda clenches her riding crop as she confirms what she thought. Confirms who that is. Ozpin remains behind you and Ruby, keeping a close eye on everything around him.

"Huh, who's that?" Ruby asks, tilting her head to the side.

"It's been too long Glynda. Too long. And Ozpin, looking great. This whole school is yours, huh? Makes sense you'd be running the show. Finally, we come to you," he ends, eyes locking onto yours. "(Y/N) Slater. You've grown since I last saw you. Still kicking, I see. Seems Jet's sacrifice was worth it," he whispers the last part under his breath.

"Who are you? I don't recognize you," you ask, taking a step towards the mysterious man.

"(Y/N)," Ozpin snaps. "He is… like you."

"What?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," he gracefully says, bowing his head. "My name is Harrier Slater."

Ruby instantly looks to you. Glynda grinds her teeth. Ozpin remains focused. You're hit hard with this news. The world is nearly spinning, your mind can't process this. While the entire plane spins like a twister, you and Harrier remain standing completely still, keeping eye contact. Everything continues to spin, but you just stare at him dumbfounded. He, on the other hand stares at you with only one thing on his mind.

One question he needs answered.

Something he's been wondering for over a decade.

And the answer is right in front of him in the form of a seventeen year old boy.

 **Welp, that's what I'll leave you guys with. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, possibly had a laugh or two, and overall have had a wonderful day. Honestly, the support I've been getting for this story has been amazing and I have to thank every single one of you who reads, comments, or even messages me directly. It all means the world to me. Perhaps this can cool some RWBY fever until Volume 4 comes around.**

 **And what does the appearance of another Slater mean? I know someone predicted another Slater coming into the fray, but that was as a villain. Though I suppose the cloak designs are kind of similar. Well, whatever. One is for hiding identity and the other is just part of the outfit. What do you want from me?**

 **Also I would like to send a HUGE shout out to an amazing reader and artist who created a new cover photo for Crimson Shadow. It looks amazing and I love it. It's better than the sword which people were mistaking for a freaking dildo. Now there's no way to think anyone is a dildo here!**

 **FACT: Originally I was going to skip the foodfight altogether, having Slater jump to ceiling and avoiding everything until Ruby's tornado attack. But a lot of people really wanted it so I put it in here. It is a pretty fun scene and a lot easier to write than I thought. I suppose fight scenes aren't all that difficult for me.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	16. Chapter 16: A Past Long Forgotten

**Chapter 16: A Past Long Forgotten**

As the world twirls around you, Harrier remains ever still as he stares at you through his darkened glasses. He smirks underneath the cover of his cloak. Finally, you stare at him with all your will.

"Harrier… Slater," you mumble, still trying to accept the fact you have any family whatsoever.

Ruby keeps looking back and forth between you and Harrier. It's clear by the look on your face that you're not coping with the news well, but your eyes seem to be lost in another world, even if they're staring directly at Harrier. Glynda and Ozpin keep their eyes on Harrier.

Harrier gives absolutely no body language to indicate what he's thinking. His cloak, covering absolutely everything down to his feet, is hidden. Even his eyes are untraceable. But you know, you KNOW he's looking at you, examining you, getting a read on exactly what you are. Glynda doesn't like that one bit. She knows he's here for you, but to what extent eludes her. Is he here to harm? To help? After their time at Beacon Harrier became a complete wild card.

"You look like Jet when you're dumbfounded. That aimless expression." Harrier adds. "I even see a bit of your mother in you, but there's no doubt you're a Slater." Harrier slowly approaches the four of you, to which Glynda assumes a somewhat defensive stance. Ozpin remains calm during this situation, but he knows this could go south very fast. He especially can't leave you and Harrier together until he knows his full intentions.

"Glynda, why the hostility? We're old friends – practically family," Harrier conveys, feigning the pain Glynda's causing.

Ruby lightly grabs your arm and shakes you in an attempt to bring you back from whatever realm you're stuck in. You shake your head, still dazed and confused, but more grounded in reality than you were. You take steps towards Harrier, leaving everyone else behind.

"(Y/N)!" Ozpin sharply whispers.

You and Harrier approach each other. Harrier smirks at your courage. Not often does a man approach him without a hint of fear. Then again, it's been sometime since he's seen anyone he hasn't immediately needed to take down. You both finally reach each other, standing face to face. He's taller than you, but not by much. You're still just a teenager, while he's a grown man. The difference is noticeable, but not sizeable. You can't see his eyes through the dense glasses, but there's still a tension of a stare down.

"You're… my uncle?" You ask.

Harrier nods.

"I was your father's brother, so yes."

You look away from his eyes, pondering what to say next. Once you have a question, you reform the connection.

"So where've you been all this time? Did my father not want me to be with you?"

Harrier remains silent for a time.

"I believe, though was not told, that you were meant to learn various fighting styles from various individuals, which sent you all over Vale. Truth be told, I've been looking for you for the past few years, but seeing as how you were sent all over Remnant it's been more tedious than I originally predicted."

A smile slowly creeps onto your face, then you spontaneously throw your arms around Harrier. This action somewhat surprises Harrier, but he doesn't move. Glynda and Ozpin remain at the ready, Glynda's riding crop prepared to get you away from him, or move him away from you. Ruby, on the other hand, isn't stupid. She can tell the two professors are uneasy with Harrier's arrival, but the reason is still a mystery. Though Harrier isn't the friendliest man Ruby's ever met, he hasn't shown any sign of being hostile, or having ill intentions. In fact, he seems to be accepting the hug you're giving him.

You can feel Harrier's arms at his side under the cloak being bound by your actions, but you don't care right now. Somehow you still have family – blood relations! You still consider the people at Beacon to be very close friends, but the sudden realization that you're not the only Slater left in the world is a huge relief. You can't help but be happy at this news, and can't help but hold this new family member tight. You haven't had true family for over a decade, so all these repressed emotions are bursting to the surface. To your surprise, you feel light tears trail down your face. Harrier can see them as he watches you.

You back off from him and wipe the tears off your face. Ruby's actually smiling at the fact you're crying. She's happy for you!

"I… sorry. I seem to be crying a lot more than I ever have," you chuckle, making sure all the tears are gone.

Harrier snickers.

"Worse has gotten on this cloak, so you're fine. It's pleasant to you as well. Would you care to walk with me? Perhaps detour Vale? It's been some time since I've been in the city."

You enthusiastically nod.

"Yeah! Definitely!" You turn back to face Ruby. "Hey, Little Red. You mind if we delay that board game until tomorrow."

Ruby nods and smiles.

"Sure."

You nod back at her then turn to Harrier.

"So… do you wanna go?" You cheerfully ask, gesturing towards the airship incoming.

"Of course," he replies before looking at Glynda and Ozpin. "It was good to see you both. We'll definitely catch up while I'm here. And don't worry, I'll take care of (Y/N)."

Glynda snarls at him while Ozpin keeps her at bay with his slight step forward.

"Harrier," he calls out, drawing Harrier's attention. "Nothing happens to (Y/N). Do you understand me?"

"Of course."

You and Harrier approach the docking area and await the incoming ship. Glynda, Ozpin, and Ruby watch you three.

"Ms. Rose… I advise you return to your dorm," Ozpin states.

"What? But I-"

"Please, Ms. Rose," Ozpin repeats.

Ruby shrinks on herself then nods. She skulks back to her room, giving you one last glance. Ozpin and Glynda continue to watch.

"We can't let them be together, Ozpin. You know what cou-"

"I believe (Y/N) is smart enough and strong enough to handle himself should the need arise. But for now… I say we observe. If you wish, you may follow them."

Glynda nods, knowing instantly that she won't let you be alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You and Harrier arrive in Vale, departing the airship with more than enough stares. Even compared to other Huntsmen, Harrier is a very noteworthy individual. It's hard to miss him, and that can flip between being good and being bad. Though it really doesn't matter for Harrier. Whether people perceive him as a threat or an ally means nothing to him, especially after so long of living in the real world. He knows Beacon, all the schools are nothing compared to being out in the field every day, fighting Grimm or even fellow Huntsmen. Either way, there's nothing that's a true threat to him in Vale. Nothing.

But, that's not the point of this adventure. The point is to spend time with someone he's been pursing for a long time, and he still has a question he needs answered, though you'll never be able to answer it. Your actions will speak for yourself. You, on the other hand, are walking like a seven-year-old boy. You're ecstaticed at this opportunity and have a lot of questions to ask your long lost uncle.

Once you both get moving and out of the flush of students, you finally have time to talk.

"So you know Glynda and Ozpin?"

Harrier nods.

"Yes. Ozpin for a different reason, but Glynda and I were quite close during our school days. You know she was in a relationship with your father, right?"

You nod, slowly remembering the pain you caused her when you first arrived.

"Yeah, I know. I also know my presence was, and might still be, difficult on her. Wait, is that the same reason she was sort… Glynda-ie with you?" You ponder.

"Haha, no. We parted on… less than pleasant terms. Perhaps that'll change for the short time I'll be here."

"Oh?" You recoil a bit. "You'll only be here for a bit?"

"Yes. As rewarding as it is to meet you, I cannot stay for very long."

You throw your hands into your pockets and sigh. You're not even sure why you're so disappointed. You haven't known him for very long, but a part of you really wants to change that. You want to be close to your only other family.

"So you were the only survivor when your village was attacked, right?" Harrier asks, finally starting a conversation.

"Oh, yeah, I think so. I… didn't think you'd bring that up. It is where your brother was killed."

Harrier sighs.

"Yes, it was. I even got there, but it was too late to save Jet or Clementine."

"Wait, you were there?" You exclaim.

Harrier remains as calm as ever.

"I was, but too late. Even with Jet's healing semblance, he was not immortal. He was overwhelmed once he saved you, and your mother wasn't much of a fighter. I did finish off the remaining Grimm before anyone else arrived. I made my peace, then left. That's all I could do."

You move your fingers while they situate in your pockets as a way to ignore the possible memories of that day.

"S-So what took you so long to find me?"

Harrier turns his eyes to see you, then returns them to see what's ahead.

"I was unaware you were alive. I assume you perished with the rest, but a few years back I heard rumours of another Slater. Since I have no living wife or children, it was only fair to assume that you survived."

"I see," you nod. "Have you ever gone back to the village? Has it been rebuilt?"

Harrier snickers.

"I haven't. Shouldn't you know? Have you not returned?"

"No, never," you genuinely answer. "I don't even remember where it was…"

Harrier stops, then turns to you. He extends his hand forward, pushing through the folds of his cloak until his hand reveals itself.

"Hand me your scroll. I remember the coordinates off by heart."

You take your hand out of your pocket and reach to a lower one running down your leg. You slip your scroll out of it and hand it over to Harrier. Harrier enters a series of numbers into your scroll, then shuts it.

"There," he hands it back to you then proceeds to walk. "You now know where it is."

"Wow… thank you, Harrier. Wait, will you not just come with me?"

Harrier slows down for a moment, then shakes his head with conviction.

"Maybe one day, but I'll allow you to go there on your own first."

You raise your brow at his words, but quickly accept them. It's possible he has bad memories of the place too. But now you have the location, so you'll at least be able to visit there when you're able. But that's a whole other problem on its own. Students generally can't take flights that aren't directly to Vale unless it's under orders of Ozpin, or it's a mission, which is still under orders of Ozpin. Either way there isn't a way there. You could always ask Ozpin or Glynda to accompany you, but… you're unsure whether they would allow you too. Perhaps Weiss can take you with one of her company aircrafts. Plenty of ideas flow through your mind, but you'll worry about it more later. Right now is your time with Harrier.

You both approach a light and wait for it to allow you to pass.

"So what have you been doing all these years? You already know everything about me," you inquire.

"Wandering would be the best term," he bluntly says. "I've met people, learned, and have gained somewhat of a reputation."

"Reputation for what?"

Harrier smirks.

"Never losing."

You smile from excitement.

"You think we could have a match?"

Harrier chuckles.

"You know how many times your father and I have fought? Admittedly… I'm interested in fighting you. But as you are now… you wouldn't touch me," he says deadly serious.

"Hey! I'm pretty strong you know!" You argue.

The light turns green, allowing you two to proceed.

"You may be, but you're a student, a rookie. I'm in a whole different league than you are."

You cross your arms and roll your eyes. You don't want to be told you're weaker than someone, you want to learn it. You want to know what your weaknesses are and how to build on them. You haven't lost since coming to Beacon, unless you want to count the first battle with RWBY, but you were holding back.

"You're a Slater, so I know you'll get strong. We'll fight soon, don't worry. To be honest," Harrier looks down at you. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do. Now, let's continue on. What have you been doing these years? What have you learned?"

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Ruby returns to her dorm, and nearly all her teammates are there. Blake is absent, as what seems to be the norm nowadays. Ruby's concerned about it, but since she's spending time with Dylan most of that time she's absent it's more reassuring. She'd rather her be with someone than on her own.

Yang is checking out her nails when Ruby walks in.

"Hey sis, done with (Y/N)?" She cheerfully asks in regular Yang fashion.

"Well, not really. He left me."

Yang and Weiss look at Ruby now, interested in the events that took place.

"What do you mean?" Yang asks for clarification.

Ruby hops onto her bed and relaxes in her bed. She wiggles to really get comfy, then turns her head towards her sister.

"His uncle is here, so he went with him."

"His uncle?" Yang repeats.

"You mean Harrier Slater?" Weiss adds.

Ruby responds with a single nod. Weiss taps her chin, thinking on that name. She's heard it before, somewhere. She's almost surprised your last name didn't spur her memory, but hearing "Harrier" has got her mind going.

"That's cool! What's he like? Any bit as awesome as uncle Qrow?" Yang excitedly asks.

"Well… I didn't really get to talk to him. He looked really cool, though Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch didn't seem to like him too much. I'm not sure why."

Yang shrugs, lying back on her bed.

"Who knows? Maybe he's stronger than them?"

"I don't even know how strong Professor Ozpin is. He must be awesome," Ruby predicts, her mind racing with possibilities of Ozpin's prowess.

She then remembers what you asked her.

"Oh! Right," she squeals before hopping off her bed and landing right in front of Weiss, making the Heiress jump back in her bed. Ruby drops to floor and scans underneath Weiss' bed.

"What're you doing?" Weiss questions.

"I…" Ruby reaches under the bed, feeling around while her tongue is poking out of her mouth. "Have my board game… somewhe- aha!" She slips away from the bed and hops to her feet.

She holds the board game prominently in her hands.

"You brought that along with you?" Yang asks, a brow raised.

Ruby turns to her sister then shakes her head.

"No, I bought a new one. This one has the Grimm expansion! I had to get it!"

"Whoa, no way!" Yang cheers, hopping down from her bed to examine the box.

Weiss shakes her head at her teammates actions. She regally gets out of her bed and sits down at her nearby desk in an attempt to get some work done. But something's still bothering her. She keeps repeating the name over and over in her head.

"Harrier Slater," she whispers.

Weiss pulls her scroll out of her pocket and stares at your contact information. There's a picture of you standing with her and Yang, arms around both of them. Yang is smiling with you, as enthusiastic about the ordeal as you are. Weiss is a little more reluctant about it, but she still has a smile as your arm wraps around her. Weiss smirks at the picture and the memory of when this took place. You definitely have had an effect on the people around here. You've had an effect on her. Yet now she has an odd feeling about the arrival of this new guy, and she's worried about what might happen.

Weiss sends you a quick message just to be sure while the sisters talk about the board game.

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It's been an interesting conversation with Harrier so far. You've been in Vale for about two hours now, stopping for tea at Harrier's request. You notice that Harrier rarely shows his actual body. His cloak is always on, always covering his body. He makes slight movements when he pays, and he doesn't even pull down the front when drinking. His mouth remains a mystery to you still.

However, while walking and talking, you've explained your entire situation to him. Where you've gone, what you've learned, even about your most recent battles after going to Beacon. Harrier was most interested, and most entertained, by the story of the ancient Grimm you were chased by for a few days. It was… difficult to talk about, but you managed to get through it with little to no problems. You're gradually getting better on that subject, which is a relief. But Harrier was also interested in all of those you trained with, and all the techniques you've learned. He seemed pleased when you told him of your skills and abilities.

He especially was interested when you told him you've come close to mastering Crimson Blaze. It was his brother's weapon, his last memento. Of course Harrier questioned the potency of the ability without a regenerative semblance, which brought you onto the subject of your semblance. Harrier was genuinely surprised when you said you haven't discovered it yet.

But now you're on your way back to Beacon. He has business to take care of, and you need to return to Beacon at some point. Thus, you're both walking alongside others on their way back to Beacon.

"So you're staying in Vale, right?" You ask, still pretty cheery but far less than you were hours ago.

"I will be for some time, yes. I'm interested in the Vytal Festival coming up in a few months as well."

"Oh, yeah, I've heard of that. I can't wait to see what the other kingdoms have in store for me."

Harrier smirks, but it's covered by his hood.

"I predict a lot is going to happen between now and then. You best be on your guard."

You smirk, ever the confident one.

"I always am… most of the time," you chuckle.

Harrier snickers.

"You are your father's son. Come on now, let's get to Beacon. I wish to talk with Ozpin and Glynda. Catch up a bit. I assume you can speak with the silver eyed girl."

"Hm? Ruby?" You clarify.

"The red hooded one. I believe. Ruby Rose, no? Daughter of Summer Rose?"

You shrug.

"I guess. I haven't really asked about her mom. Never came up."

Harrier remains silent, squinting his eyes as he remembers Summer. Hell, he remembers all of team STRQ when… well, a long time ago. It was interesting to see her daughter, and to see she's also inherited the silver eyes. Very interesting. It's something Harrier needs to keep in mind.

"Well, I assume she knows about your parents, no?"

You fall in on yourself.

"Y-Yeah… Remember, I told you all about what happened after?"

"I do. You professed what happened to Ozpin and Glynda while she was in the room, but that's far less personal and meaningful than telling her alone."

You scratch the back of your head, a little nervous. You bite your lip.

"Yeah… but why does that matter?"

Harrier shrugs.

"Just something to keep in mind. You have to prove that people mean something to you. You can't just assume it. Yet that doesn't always mean doing what's best for them," Harrier preaches.

"What do you mean?"

Harrier chuckles.

"One day, young Slater. For now get some rest, learn, and get ready for the day we can fight."

You shrug and keep walking. You're moving your hands behind your head, but someone passes by, placing something in your hand as he chants.

"-is the prize! Just win the annual vocal competition! Any talent out there, we-"

You continue to walk and eventually stop hearing what he's saying over the hustle and bustle of everyone else. You look at the pamphlet briefly before accepting this turn of events and shoving it in your pocket.

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After the short, yet cramped, ride you, Harrier, and a plethora of other students return to Beacon. You can tell by the look on others faces that they're going to miss the time off. This was theirs, and your, last day before classes start. That little fact hangs over you still. You're actually going to have to DO something other than train. Yes, you've been taught things throughout the years, but never in an official school environment, and never with Ms. Goodwitch. You shiver at the thought.

Before you can even converse with your uncle anymore, he speaks.

"It's been a… pleasure to see you again, (Y/N). I bid you farewell until our next meeting."

"Wai- bu-" You sigh in defeat. "Alright. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

Harrier subtly shrugs.

"It's possible, but I won't promise anything. Get a good night's rest and prepare yourself for tomorrow."

You nod, flashing him a smile. Harrier bows his head slightly, and then you two part ways. You head back to your dorm. Harrier sets course for Ozpin's tower. He walks at a moderate pace that's comfortable for him. In truth, it's terribly slow, but he can't be running around everywhere, even if he wanted too. Plus his cloak might not constantly cover everything if he's moving too much.

Not that there's much to see of Harrier. His eyes are covered, along with everything just below his nose. His well-kept facial hair that covers his lower cheeks and jaw, though doesn't consist of a moustache, also remains hidden. He would trim it and return to how he looked when he was younger, but a certain event changed his mind some time ago. He prefers to keep the beard in honour of his brother.

Many of the students around Beacon eye Harrier, which doesn't move him at all. The most interesting one, however, is when Harrier notices a rather famous student staring at him. Pyrrha Nikos, a woman who many consider a prodigy, eyes Harrier. She squints at him as she thinks, which leads Harrier to believe she's familiar with him, somehow. Pyrrha seems to realize something, then makes a b-line towards Harrier. Harrier rolls his eyes, but won't pass on this opportunity to speak to her.

"Excuse me, hello," she pleasantly greets, stepping diagonally of Harrier so he'll slow down. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos, are… are you Harrier Slater?"

Harrier stops and turns his body towards Pyrrha.

"You're quite observant to deduce my identity with these on," he responds, confirming Pyrrha's question.

"Wow, amazing! THE Harrier Slater is here. Did you know that yo-"

"Yes, I am aware my nephew is here. I was just speaking to him. My apologies, but is there something specific you need? I'm going somewhere."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to meet you. (Y/N) and I look at your statue every so often. I apologize for your loss," she whole-heartedly says.

"My… loss?" Harrier repeats, trying to figure out what the young woman is talking about. "Oh, Jet? Well, thank you."

"There is one question I would like to ask, if I may," Pyrrha continues.

Harrier rolls his eyes.

"Very well. One question, then I must go."

Pyrrha nods, takes in a deep breath, then speaks.

"What exactly happened when Jet disappeared? You were with him, no?"

Harrier's eyes widen at the question, then he begins laughing. Pyrrha is confused at the man's actions, but doesn't say anything.

"What happened that day doesn't matter. He survived, he lived on, and then he died. That's just a chapter in his life."

"He was missing for five years. Something must have happened," Pyrrha presses.

"What's your angle here, Pyrrha? Why do you care?" Harrier counters.

"As an aspiring Huntsman, I want to know everything I can. Besides that, this is important to (Y/N). He knows little about his father, and knowing the various things he's done could inspire him, just as many other Huntsmen have inspired me."

Harrier begins to walk away, but leaves Pyrrha with something.

"If I wanted to tell (Y/N) what happened to his father, then I would. The real question is why Ozpin, Glynda, and so many others have hidden it from him."

Harrier leaves hearing distance of Pyrrha, leaving the young Spartan thinking.

Harrier finally makes it to Ozpin's tower and enters the building, passing by anyone who's around. He enters the elevator and selects Ozpin's floor, then calmly waits for the machine to bring him there.

 _What exactly happened when Jet disappeared? You were with him, no?_

Harrier chuckles at the thought.

"I was with my little brother for everything."

The elevator dings and the door opens. Ozpin looks past his monitor and sees Harrier approaching him. He stands up, grabs his cane, and makes his way around his desk.

"Harrier… what are you doing here?" Ozpin asks, cutting to the chase.

"I would first like to ask why Glynda was following us the whole time. In fact, she should be-" The elevator dings and Glynda enters the room. "As I predicted." Harrier steps to the side so he can see both Ozpin and Glynda. "Are you both that paranoid?"

Glynda steps beside Ozpin.

"I wonder why," she sarcastically remarks.

"You can't blame us, Harrier. You're not the most popular huntsman."

"I've noticed," Harrier snickers. "Though it's pleasant to see I'm not attacked on sight here like I was in Atlas."

"Well," Ozpin starts, drifting his gaze away for a moment before returning it to Harrier. "I'm aware of what you've obtained through your travels, so battling you would be unwise at the moment. Besides, you're not currently hostile, so there's nothing to be gained with unnecessary battle."

Harrier smirks under his cloak.

"I see you're as tactical as ever. So, have you told (Y/N)?"

Glynda grinds her teeth.

"Why would we?" She growls.

Harrier turns his head to Glynda, content with how much he's getting under her skin.

"Just curious. Of course I know you haven't, considering how he acts. Though I would tell him soon, if I were you. He doesn't seem to be the type that likes to be lied to."

"We will handle that situation," Ozpin interjects. Both Harrier and Glynda look to Ozpin, share one quick glance, and then return their attention to Ozpin. "Now then, you're welcome to stay in Vale, and even Beacon, as long as you wish to. But make no mistake. Harm any of my students, especially (Y/N), and I will personally punish you," Ozpin threatens, his entire persona become deadly serious, something Glynda hasn't seen in years.

Harrier bows his head.

"Of course. It was a pleasure speaking to you both again. I look forward to tomorrow."

Harrier turns around and heads towards the elevator. Once he enters and leaves, Glynda slams her fist against the nearby wall.

"Damnit! I can't believe we're allowing him to roam free here," she snarls.

"And what do you propose we do?" Ozpin calmly asks, returning to his desk. "We'll have him monitored at all times, and I didn't feel any ill intent coming from him. He's here for something, likely relating to (Y/N), but we can't be sure what. Possibly repentance for Jet's death." Glynda sneers. "Either way," Ozpin continues. "We must have (Y/N) monitored at all times. And possibly," Ozpin scrolls through his computer and finds a picture of Ruby. "Perhaps keeping an eye on Ruby would be a good idea as well."

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You reach your room, finally, after a long day. Sure you've been chatting with Harrier, your long lost uncle, but that doesn't dismiss the fact that you participated in a food fight AND haven't really eaten much today. You and Harrier did stop by a store for some tea and small foods, but that doesn't fill a growing Huntsman-in-Training like you at all. You need more food… like that steak Yang ate, or that apple Yang threw away, or that plate of food Ruby crushed…

 _Are they trying to kill me via starvation?_

You shake your head at the crazy thought and flash your scroll to enter your room. You turn the handle so the door can be opened, then allow your entire body to lie on the door, pushing it open and resulting in you slamming on the floor. Dylan lowers his book slightly to see your state, then lifts it back up.

"Nice of you to drop in," he calmly greets.

"You know, I'm somewhat glad, yet somewhat scared you got a sense of humour," you chuckle, looking up at him while half your face is smooshed against the carpet.

Dylan smirks, but doesn't divert his attention from his book. In reality, the book is just a front. He and Blake have been working on plans for finding Torchwick and Aza, and trying to take down the White Fang. So far Dylan's managed to pinpoint a location on where a meeting place will be, but that's it. At the moment he's looking through other notes he has, trying to find any clue or connection.

"You're just a dull Dylan," you mutter into the carpet.

"And you're a sad Slater," he retorts.

"Oh, ha! You're such a clever guy!" You shout in a muffled voice. "I wish I could be half as FUNNY AS YOU!"

Dylan puts his book down as he sighs.

"You're a man-child. Get up, stop wallowing in your own filth, and start acting like the Huntsman you're supposed to be."

You shuffle your head over and pout at Dylan, who's staring you down with no sympathy.

"You're heartless."

"You're brainless."

"Bleh, let me live my life," you complain, pushing yourself onto your feet. You start stretching your neck. "At least I got to have some fun before you ruined it."

Dylan rolls his eyes and grabs his book once more.

"What were you doing?"

You brush yourself off, and, while you do this, you accidentally brush something out of your jacket pocket. You feel the oddity against your skin which draws your attention to it.

"Oh, you know… stuff," you vaguely answer, clearly not totally paying attention to the conversation.

You kneel down and grab the pamphlet. You raise your brow for a moment, not remembering where you got this. The memory quickly bursts to the surface of when the random man handed you this on your way back. You open it up and read it as you saunter towards your bed. Dylan concurs that you're not going to be rambling anymore, so he returns his full attention to his duties.

You flop on your bed as you read what this has to offer. The front has a picture of someone standing in a spotlight with a microphone, so it's obviously something to do with a performance of some kind. You open it up and scour through the details. Instantly something on the second page catches your attention.

"Fly anywhere you want," you read the headline.

You analyze it for more information. Seems that the winner of whatever this is gets a flight to wherever… they... Your eyes widen in realization. You toss the pamphlet beside you and reach for your scroll. Right away it shows a message from Harrier, and you open that. It's a simple message with two parts to it: a picture, and coordinates. This is where your home was. You can finally visit it after so many years. It would be… comforting to see the place again, even if it's filled with bad memories. Perhaps facing those memories will help your hallucinations. You've already made a point to cut down on image training, so this would be another step in the right direction.

But you're getting ahead of yourself. You have no idea what you have to do to win this prize. You return your attention to the first page and begin reading the details. First it's just a general introduction, talking about large crowds, the location which just happens to be where Weiss once took you during your day together, and a crisp voice.

"Crisp voice?" You repeat in confusion.

You read it further, then, once realizing what's required, spin over into your stomach and sigh into your bed. Dylan looks over at you, debating whether or not to include himself in whatever upsets you. He sighs.

"What's wrong?"

You roll onto your back and stare at the ceiling. You swiftly return the pamphlet to your pocket.

"Ah… nothing. I just… I gotta think of something quick. I don't have much time. In fact, I only have an hour," you complain, contorting your lips as you think. "Hey Dylan," you begin, looking over at him. "Do you think you could critique my singing?"

"Your… singing? Why do you need to sing?" He inquires, admittedly interested in what you're planning.

You lift yourself into a sitting position atop your bed.

"Well, I just got the coordinates of my… of a place that's important to me, but I don't think Ozpin will let me take a school Bullhead. Sooooo if I win this singing contest I get a free flight to wherever I want in Vale! There and back!"

Dylan chuckles as he sets his book down.

"Alright Slater, dazzle me with your singing."

You instantly regret asking, but you're not one to back out of a challenge so early. You pop to your feet then slip your scroll out of your pocket.

"Unfortunately I only have some songs Little Red put on my scroll," you excuse as you set it up.

"Why did you let her do that?" Dylan asks, a coy smirk on his face.

"Oh, uh…" You scratch the back of your head. "I don't remember. She just asked for my opinion on her songs, so I said yes. I know one off the top of my head, so I'll… I'll sing a bit of it for you," you begrudgingly say.

Dylan readies himself for the potential amazement or potential amusement he's about to experience. You set up the song and get ready.

 _I guess I've done worse things in my life… jeez, here goes nothing._

You play the music and get it going, despite Dylan's aggravating smile. You take a breath before beginning your performance. The guitar starts up which makes you chuckle. Ruby's music taste definitely conflicts with her personality.

" _This will be the day we've waited for_

 _This will be the day we open up the door_

 _I don't wanna hear your abso-"_

Dylan bursts out laughing, which completely ruins your flow. The music plays on until you turn it off.

"What?" You exclaim, pouting a bit.

"Nothing, nothing," he chuckles, waving his hand. "Look, I'll give it to you straight. Your voice… meh, it's alright. My ears aren't bleeding, so you're not making anyone cringe. But if you're trying to win a contest… you don't have a chance."

You let your shoulders fall in disappointment, then throw your hands in the air.

"Well great, what am I supposed to-"

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

You and Dylan look over at the door, then look at each other. Dylan shrugs and lays back down on his bed. You roll your eyes and approach the door. You open it up to see Yang with her hand over her mouth, attempting to stop herself from laughing. You raise your brow, then look over her shoulder. A few students are poking their head out, staring at your room, all also laughing.

"Quite a voice you got there, hot stuff," Yang giggles.

You squint your eyes at Yang, to which she simply laughs at.

"You can serenade me some other time. Or perhaps, someone else? Are you practicing?" She teases.

"Serena- Can you people go back to your own rooms!" You shout, making all the other students scurry back to their rooms. "Sheesh, anyway, why would I serenade someone?" You ask.

"Well, I'm sure you know that's one of Ruby's favourite songs," Yang brings up.

Yang has… mixed emotions on this topic. It very much seems like you two are interested in each other, but she can't tell at the moment. She has yet to approach Ruby about it, and she's beaten around the bush with you. She's somewhat pleased, but at the same time she's furious. That's her little sister, a sister that's two years younger than you. Her protective instincts kick in instantly, even if she does trust you. You have taken care of Yang when she was vulnerable, you've saved Ruby's life, and they've even seen you at your worst. Those are things that can spark emotions within people, but that's not enough for Yang. It's almost preparing you, in a way. If you can survive Yang, then you might have a chance when their father finds out. Of course that's all speculation that relies on whether or not you two like each other.

"Well, I didn't know that was her favourite, but she did give me a couple songs to listen to. As for serenading… well… you think I'm stealing any hearts with that voice?"

"Nope," Dylan anwers.

"Hey, shut up!" You shout, looking back at him.

Yang giggles at your bickering.

"Well, I suppose I'd best be going. I just had to drop by when I heard your singing."

"You… ah," you scratch your neck. "You could hear that from your dorm?"

"What? Oh, no, no, no. I was leaving anyway, and I heard you down the hallway. But hey," Yang starts as she spins around to walk away. "If you're serious about singing, you should give Weiss a visit."

"Give Weiss a… of course!" You shout. "Dylan, I'll see you later! I have a Weiss to visit."

"Did… you just use Weiss as a-"

You slam the door behind you, cutting off Dylan.

"Does he even have an attention span? Because I don't see one," Dylan mumbles to himself.

Dylan grabs his scroll and types out a text.

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You run through the halls towards team RWBY's room. You dart past a couple students before reach the room. You're about to knock, but the door opens before your fist to connect.

"Oh, (Y/N)," Blake greets. "I was just leaving. Do you need something?"

"Weiss! Is she here?" You ask.

Blake nods, then points her thumb over her shoulder.

"Yeah, in there. Excuse me, though, I have somewhere to be."

Blake slips by you, then you dart into her room. Weiss is sitting at a desk writing up some notes. To what? You have no idea, and frankly you don't really care at the moment. You slide beside her, place your hands on her shoulder, and move your face right beside hers.

"Weiss!"

"GAH! (Y/N), YOU IDIOT!" She screams out of fear.

She doesn't move, since you're keeping her in place. You don't seemed fazed by her scream, however.

"Weiss, I need a favour!"

"You broke into my room," Weiss argues, getting out of her seat and staring up at you.

"For a good reason! I need your help, please! You're the only one that can help me."

Weiss sighs, letting her body droop and her eyes close. She opens one eye and looks at you.

"What do you need?"

"I need you to sing in a contest!"

"I… that's what… why?"

You grab the pamphlet and hand it to her.

"There's a competition, and the winner gets to bring one friend anywhere they like in Vale!"

Weiss keeps her eyes on the pamphlet as she reads.

"And why would you care about something like this?" She inquires.

"I…" You exhale, knowing you'll have to tell her if you're going to get her help. "I want to visit my home." Weiss lifts her eyes from the pamphlet to you as you speak. "I want to go back to where my parents were killed. This means a lot to me, Weiss. Please, nobody else can help me," you ask with sincerity.

"So all I have to do is sing one song, and that's it?"

You nod.

"As it says there, yeah. Everyone will be judged, and whoever wins gets the flight."

"And it's tomorrow? Have you already signed up for it online before even asking me?"

You shake your head.

"No, of course not. Honestly, my first thought was to try and sing myself, bu-"

Weiss giggles, covering her mouth as she does so.

"Oh come on, why does everyone laugh at that?" You whine.

"I just can't imagine you singing… or it being good enough for a contest."

"That's what Dylan said," you huff, crossing your arms. "So… will you do it? I'll owe you one."

Weiss leaves you to pace around her room. She goes over a few more of the details in the pamphlet as she walks, which gives you a true sense of the unknown.

"It's in two days? So we have two days to practice," Weiss states.

"Well, you have two days to practice. I could make sure that my thumbs up game is quite powerful," you add.

"What would that do?" Weiss questions.

"Give you even better morale support?" You say, though it's evident by your tone that you're doubting yourself.

Weiss menacingly stares at you.

"No. Just let me handle this, and YOU can repay the favour later."

A sudden surge of happiness overtakes you at Weiss' words. You start laughing, then rush in to give her a hug.

"Ha! Thank you Weiss! Thank you!" You shout, hugging her tightly.

"Y-Yeah," she mumbles as she starts to blush. "Just let go of me already."

You let her go but still have a goofy smile on your face that Weiss can't help but find comfort in.

"So… I, uh, I'll let you get to it," you say as you saunter towards the door. "Seriously Weiss, I appreciate this. I'll pay you back somehow."

"Of course. Have a good night, (Y/N)," Weiss smiles.

You nod at her, then close the door. Weiss exhales, releasing all sorts of emotions.

"I… can see why you like him, Ruby…" She whispers to herself. "It's the same reason… I…" Weiss shakes her head, ridding herself of all thoughts. "Well, I suppose I need to find a song to sing now. He's far luckier than he should be to have us."

 **And that's a wrap on my end. So, we have a few more chapters before a big reveal comes out! Well, not so much of a big one, but it's something that I bet every single one of you has pondered, and I hope you'll enjoy what that will be. It's been a fun time planning all this up to Volume 3.5, especially with my platinum level Beta. Seriously, writing this story is a lot of fun. Sometimes I pull up one of the Volumes to double check something, and I end up watching it for an hour, imagining what Slater would be doing in that situation. Plus, and something I like, you all seem to really like Slater. It's good when I make a reader that people like. Heck, sometimes I make myself chuckle when I re-read, or am writing his lines and actions.**

 **Also, I urge everyone to check out my Twitter. There are a couple people tweeting me amazing fanart of my stories, especially Crimson Shadow. It's worth checking out, trust me. It's amazing to see fanart of one of my stories. That's something I never imagined would happen to me when I first started writing two years ago. In fact, three days ago, on August 25, was my second anniversary of when I started writing. That is amazing to think I've been writing for so long and have brought so much entertainment to so many people. This has become more than I ever thought it could be and I have all of you to thank for it. Well, that little fact was actually going to be my fact of this chapter… so…**

 **FACT: I started writing fanfiction on August 25, 2014, which was three days prior to me posting this chapter.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	17. Chapter 17: Desperation in Admiration

**Chapter 17: Desperation in Admiration**

You and Ruby sit on the edge of the airpad. Ruby swings her dangling legs so naturally, mostly due to her immaturity. She's looking at you as you speak, smiling. She's been glowing lately since she finally acknowledged her feelings towards you, no matter how odd that feels. Never before has she liked a boy, and never before has she felt these tingly butterflies in her stomach like this. Sure, when she was nervous she felt them, but nothing compared to this. Every time she's with you she feels this feeling. It's a happy feeling though.

"I actually didn't think I was that bad. Dylan thought I was decent enough, yet your sister and ALL," you throw your arm to the side to imitate the amount. "The other students had to stare and laugh."

Ruby giggles.

"I'm sure it was great! You even sung my song!"

"Yeah, I di- wait, I never told you what song!" You shout at a far higher pitch than normal, making Ruby laugh.

"Y-Yeah you did, I swear," she tries to convince you, but her constant laughing isn't winning you over.

"Did… did Yang tell all of you?"

Ruby's eyes start to tear up from laughter as she holds her hands over her mouth. Her laugh makes you let out one or two just because it's so contagious. Besides that, her laugh is really adorable and always makes you smile. But you can't allow that to beat you now. You need information!

"Ruuuby?" You press, leaning a little closer to her.

Ruby closes her eyes, laughs harder, then nods her head.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? GOD… YANG!" You shout in a joking, yet semi-serious, manner.

"D-Don't tell her I told you. It's a secret," Ruby cackles, still unable to calm herself down.

"What about me! I don't get any secre-"

You cut yourself off when you realize how much you've hidden from Ruby, and really everyone. Even the words from Harrier slip into your mind, the thought of telling Ruby about everything. Ruby, on the other hand, stares at you, blinking every so often. Like always, you've drifted off into your own world. It's honestly something she's always liked about you. So absent minded, yet so focused on one thing. She closes her eyes and smiles at you.

She lifts her hand and pokes your nose, trying to get you back to the real word. Once you feel the touch of another person, you fall back to reality. You shake your head and look over at a smiling red hooded huntress.

"Oh… right… sorry," you smirk. "Guess those massive ships are kind of distracting me," you admit before looking up at the massive fleet brought in early morning.

"Yeah, they are an eyesore," Ruby nods, looking up at them.

"Gives me memories of my time in Atlas," you speak. "I wonder if Ironwood is here."

"Hm? Ironwood?" Ruby repeats.

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Harrier smirks at the sight of all the Atlas ships. His heart is beating with such a thrill that his hand is twitching.

"Have you come here for me, Ironwood?" He chuckles. "Perhaps… but I think being with Ozpin will be more interesting. I hope to see you, Ironwood," Harrier wishes, waving his fingers at the ships before trekking to Ozpin's tower.

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"Yeah, when I was in Atlas he offered a position at his academy, but I couldn't take it. Didn't want to, either, honestly. Then I'd have to deal with…" You shutter at the thought.

"Why couldn't you stay?" Ruby inquires, tilting her head.

"Well… I…" You huff, thinking about telling her. You shake your head and smile at her. "How about we talk later, huh? I have something I've wanted to tell you for a while. But how about we play that game you mentioned yesterday?"

Ruby excitedly nods, both in the prospect of playing the game, but also to what you're going to tell her. Ruby bounces to her feet so fast and so fluently that you're thrown for a loop.

"Yeah yeah yeah I'll get Yang and Blake and Weiss and we can play!" She spews, fired up.

You chuckle as you get to your feet.

"Alright, but I'll let you girls play the first round. I need to learn how to play."

Ruby nods, then grabs your hand instinctively before dragging you to the dorms.

"Yeah! Come on!"

"Whoa, hey, come on! I'm gonna fall!" You shout, stumbling behind the overactive Huntress-in-Training.

Ruby isn't even embarrassed that she's holding your hand anymore. She's just too overwhelmed with joy and excitement to be embarrassed or care.

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Ozpin and Glynda stare out of Ozpin's window, watching all the ships flying in. One would think a few smaller carriers and some fighters would be enough, but the giant flagship hovering between Vale and Beacon has taken up most of the view for both parties.

"Hm… and I thought the clouds were a distraction," Ozpin flatly says.

"This isn't a distraction. It feels like an assault or occupation," Glynda counters with venom.

Ozpin's seat rings, notifying him that someone is here.

"Come in," he shouts so his voice can cut through the thick metal doors.

The door opens and Harrier waltzes in.

"Quite the welcoming community, isn't it. Did either of you let our honourable general know that I'm here?" Harrier asks.

Ozpin and Glynda turn to Harrier, but with very different faces. Ozpin's is one that is calm and collected, as he normally is, while Glynda's is full of disdain and aggression, which Harrier has gotten used to.

"Nobody has let anyone know you're here," Ozpin responds, gesturing for Harrier to take a seat which Harrier politely refuses with a shake of the head. "Though, if I'm correct, General Ironwood has been looking for you for quite some time."

"Yeah, that's been fun. Though I believe 'hunting' is a more appropriate term," Harrier snickers, thinking back to the few fights he's had with the Atlas military, and even with James Ironwood himself.

"I can understand why," Glynda snaps. She then turns to Ozpin. "I'll be on my way. Give James my greetings."

Ozpin nods. He and Harrier remain silent until the sound of Glynda's heels halts, and the sound of an elevator takes it over.

Ozpin stares into Harrier's covered eyes, remaining collected. Harrier smirks.

"Everyone keeps giving me that look, Ozpin. Especially Glynda. She's extremely angry at me."

"Do you truly wonder why?" Ozpin inquires, sitting down.

Harrier shrugs.

"I suppose. But I'm not here to debate the past. I'm here just to see the General." Behind Harrier, the elevator dings. "And there he is now," Harrier confidently remarks, taking a step towards the pillars.

The elevator opens and James Ironwood enters the room, smiling at the sight of his old friend.

"General," Ozpin greets, lifting himself from his chair and approaching the general.

"Please, no need for such formalities, Oz," Ozpin chuckles, extending his hand.

"Alright, James," he says, shaking his hand. "So what brings you, and your… small fleet, to Vale? Headmasters typically don't travel with their students… or their armies."

"Well, I imagined they could help."

"Help," Harrier laughs, revealing himself from behind the pillar. "What could they possibly help with?"

Ozpin and Ironwood both look at Harrier. Ironwood's eyes widen, and he immediately draws his gun. Ozpin remains on guard whilst Harrier remains ever calm. He shakes his head.

"Tsk, tsk, James. Don't want to go riling up the rapier wasp nest," Harrier taunts.

"Oz… what is this… traitor doing here!" Ironwood shouts.

"Seeing how I spent a few months in Atlas, you shouldn't be surprised. Or do you not remember?"

Ironwood grinds his teeth at Harrier's words as he slowly pulls the trigger. Suddenly a hand rests on Ironwood's weapon, diverting its course from Harrier. Ironwood looks to the owner of that hand, which is Ozpin. Ozpin eyes him down.

"Harrier is no threat at the moment. Do not compromise our students."

"But Ozpin-"

"There are times to fight, and times to put down your weapon. Do you really believe your army can defeat him right now? You'd be sacrificing every student here for a fruitless cause."

Ironwood persists in grinding his teeth, then shoots his glance at Harrier, who's ever stoic as always.

"He's right. I'm not here for a fight. I'm here for the tournament, and to see my nephew."

"Wait, (Y/N) Slater is here?" Ironwood questions, lowering his weapon.

Ozpin retracts his hand.

"He is indeed. He's now a student of Beacon under the guidance of… his father."

"Jet's wishes?" Harrier pipes up.

Ozpin shakes his head.

"No. Me." These words catch both Ironwood and Harrier by surprise, but Ozpin quickly elaborates. "I was requested to take care of (Y/N) as a step-father, and I accepted. Officially, I am his father."

"Tsk," Harrier voices as he makes for the elevator. "You better be good at your job then, Ozpin," he warns before entering the elevator and leaving the office.

"Ozpin, we can't let him just roam around. He's a criminal! A wanted man!" He argues.

"Placing Harrier in the same category as a common criminal is simply not true. Trust me, James, I have eyes on him at all times, and he's done nothing wrong since coming to Beacon."

"But if he does-"

"If he does we will handle it. But lets not poke a sleeping Ursa when we could move around it."

Ironwood shakes his head in defiance. He turns around and begins to walk away.

"I'd rather just kill it as it sleeps," he retorts before entering a separate elevator.

Ozpin sighs at his words. James Ironwood is a good person, but he doesn't see what Ozpin sees. Ozpin approaches his window and looks out at both his academy, and the military force around it.

"Harrier… what happened after Jet's disappearance that changed you? You were once seen as a hero."

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This game… is something you didn't expect. Well, not so much the game, but the reaction from the four girls, or lack thereof. The game itself seemed pretty simple as you watched it: One player takes control of the four Kingdoms and try to conquer Remnant using various cards and armies. The concept is quite interesting, and seeing Ruby and Yang get so into it was quite entertaining. Luckily you're situated between Weiss and Ruby, so Yang's sporadic and near-violent movements are far away from you.

Funny enough, team JNPR was also in the library when you arrived, attempting to study the material you learned today. Thankfully the arrival of Harrier got you out of class, so you still have yet to enter that dreaded place. But… saying they're studying is only half right. Ren is definitely studying, along with Pyrrha. Nora is… sleeping, while Jaune reads his comic. Funny enough, you saw Pyrrha take his comic and start reading it herself.

But all this was nothing to what happened after Ruby attempted to attack Yang. Her armies were demolished, and tears flowed from her eyes faster than water out of a shower. Though odd, this is something you perceive as normal between the two sisters, and it got a laugh out of you. During all this, Weiss and Blake didn't seem to care – Blake especially. You've noticed she's been far quieter than usual. Even Dylan, who is with her the most, agrees that her mood has been changing. Weiss, on the other hand, simply looks confused at what's going on, which is odd since you've picked up the game quite easily. Something you have noticed is Weiss' eyes constantly glancing over at you. It's probably her way of asking for a way out, perhaps so she can practice for tomorrow's singing competition.

But then the craziest thing happened. During Weiss' turn, she seemed to have the upper hand, until Yang destroyed her entire army, making her cry almost as much as Ruby. Ruby then jumped to Weiss, knocking you over in the process, and they held each other like a mother and child would. Honestly it was hilarious and pretty adorable for both of them.

You get to your feet and brush yourself off.

"Well, I think I get the jist of this game. I have to make Ruby and Weiss cry.

"Hey!"

"Meanie!"

Yang chuckles at your words, along with Jaune who's listening in.

"Well, it's your turn Blake," Yang says.

"Huh?" Blake moans, looking as like she just came back to the world. "Right… what am I doing?"

You lean back in your chair and notice Jaune is heading towards your table. You spin out of your chair and meet him half way, crossing your arms as you lean on your hip beside him.

"Whoa, nice moves."

"Dance class. It really helps," you smirk.

"Ha, you can dance?" He chuckles.

You shake your head, quietly laughing.

"God, no. I was just joking. So how was the… 'studying' going," you say with air quotes, then return to your previous position.

Jaune lets his body go limp.

"Pyrrha stole my comic book, and now she actually won't give it back," he whines.

"Why didn't you just hide it behind a book, so it looks like you're studying?" You ask, raising your brow.

Jaune's eyes dart around in a very specific location, then he softly stops his foot as he mentally slaps himself.

"Why didn't I think of that?" He shouts in a whisper form.

You pat Jaune's arm.

"It's alright, you just gotta learn to deceive. I got in trouble a lot through all my previous schools with that."

Jaune nods.

"Thanks for the tip, I'm definitely going to try that on Pyrrha."

"It's not going to work," Pyrrha happily chants.

You and Jaune instantly freeze up.

"She's learned our secret," Jaune panics.

"Abandon ship!"

You jump to the side only to land face first on the floor. Both RWBY and JNPR look down at your twitching body.

"This floor… is hard," you mumble.

"Sup lo- why is that guy on the ground?" Sun asks, looking down at you.

"Hey Sun," Ruby greets, waving. "He's just…"

"A dunce?" Weiss offers.

"A joker," Yang adds.

"PANCAKES!"

Ren shakes his head and flips a page onto Nora's head.

You push yourself onto your feet and look at the two new men standing with your group. You've seen them before during the cafeteria incident, but you haven't gotten their names or truly met them.

"(Y/N) Slater," you say, moving behind your chair to join your friends.

"Sun, and this is, since I never got to introduce you, my friend Neptune. Neptune, that's Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Ice Queen."

"I am not liking this trend!"

"Aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune brings up.

"Thank you!" Ren shouts, throwing his hands in the air.

"No, shut up, don't be a nerd," Sun quickly fires back.

"Gigigigig, intellectual, okay?" Neptune turns to all of you. "I'm Neptune."

"So where're you from" You ask.

Neptune casually slips by you and makes his way towards Weiss, while Sun answers your question.

"We're from Haven."

"Oh, Haven, I remember my time there."

"So, what's your name, Snow Angel?" Neptune asks, taking position in front of Weiss.

"I'm Weiss," she answers in quite a blunt and uninterested tone.

"Really?" Jaune quietly whines.

"Pleasure to meet you," he smoothly says.

Sun moves over to talk with Blake, so you take a seat beside Weiss and Ruby once more.

"So I guess the game's in a little bit of a-"

"Hey," Ruby cuts in, elbowing your shoulder.

You look confused, but then turn to see what she's talking about. You notice a very distinct lack of Blake and a very confused Sun. You step out of your seat and walk towards the edge of the bookshelf to see Blake, who's only looking at the floor. You huff. Something's wrong with her, and you're going to find out what.

"Hey, look, I'll play later," you tell Ruby. "I got something to take care of."

Weiss nods as she stands up from the table.

"I believe I'm done two. You two can take over," she says, pointing at Neptune and Sun. "(Y/N), I'm coming with you."

"Oh… uh… okay, I guess. Are you sure?" You ask, puzzled, as she walks towards you. "I mean generally you tell me to go away or something mo- guh!"

Weiss grabs the back of your jacket and shirt, dragging you and choking you at the same time.

"Let's go."

The group laughs at your misfortune, but Ruby can't help but be a little disappointed that you haven't gotten to play with her yet. She wanted to destroy you and conquer your kingdom, but then give you a gentle pat on the head for support. She's still interested at the mysterious "talk" you keeping telling her about, but you two never seem to have the opportunity. Well, you do, but you rarely want to bring it up. It's clear to Ruby that it's a sensitive topic, so she has no interest in pushing you despite her curiosity. All she wants to do is help you, be there for you, and make sure you're never pushed as far as before. It's all because she likes you, which persists in being an odd concept for her.

"Well, do you two want to play?" Yang offers Neptune and Sun.

"Sure, why not. I call Vacuo!"

"You would," Neptune jokingly scolds as he takes a seat across from Sun.

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"You know you could… Why don't you… CAN YOU LET GO OF ME!" You shout, squirming as much as you can while the surprisingly strong Weiss hauls you through the courtyard.

Everyone who's walking around or chatting all see your little scene, and can't help but laugh that the Ice Queen is basically manhandling you like nothing as you squirm and whine like a child. Weiss huffs and let's go of your collar. Since you're not ready for it, you fall backwards and slam on the floor. You cough a few times before relaxing and staring up at the sky.

"I think the floor and me have a special relationship. I'm always falling on them," you exhale.

"Don't you mean 'the floor and I'?" Weiss corrects, hands on her hips and she looks down at you.

"Hey, I know! I just don't want to be so correct! I can grammar good!" You argue, purposefully messing up this time to get under Weiss' skin.

Weiss rests her head in her hand and shakes it.

"Why did I ever agree to help you," she quietly asks herself. Weiss then returns her gaze to you. "Come on! We're going to practice."

"Practice what? Battle?" You ask, still lying on the ground.

"No, dunce. The competition tomorrow. I want your opinion on how I sound," Weiss explains, leaning on her hip.

You shake your head and wave your hands in front of your face.

"No way! Sorry, but I want to hear it when you actually present! I wanna be blown away the first time in front of everyone."

Weiss recoils a bit, gaining a slight shade of pink at your compliment.

"You… don't have to build me up that much," she whispers.

"I do though! Sorry, but I'm not coming with you. I refuse," you declares, crossing your arms and looking away.

"(Y/N)? Is that you?" A voice greets from some distance.

Your eyes shoot open which concerns Weiss. She looks to the source of the voice and sees the Atlas academy headmaster General James Ironwood. You reach over and grab Weiss' leg, which makes her yelp.

"I'll come with you. Take me! Take me! I'll do anything! Be your slave, make you dinner, I don't care! Just drag me away with your power!" You cry out, which only makes Weiss laugh at how petty your being.

Ironwood stops beside you, staring at your body.

"Lying on the floor, hm? Seems you really haven't changed from your time in Atlas. I thought you'd have learned more respect with us."

"Oh… you know I learned more than just that… like how to cry myself to sleep during the night," you say with a cocky smile.

Ironwood shakes his head in disappointment. He'd have hoped you'd learn more respect and become more serious from your time at Atlas, but evidently you learned nothing but fighting techniques. Now you're just a very skilled, very immature Huntsman-in-Training. Ironwood humbly smiles.

"Be respectful! He's one of the most important people in the world!" Weiss scolds before turning to Ironwood and politely bowing. "Good day, General. I hope you're doing well."

"Good to see all Schnees know proper etiquette, especially when you're an Heiress."

"I'm an Heiress. Hello good sir. Meh," you mock, motioning in various different forms.

Weiss kicks your ribs to shut you up, but remains calm and smiling at Ironwood.

"White demon!" You wheeze, holding your side.

"Well, I suppose I'll let you two go," Ironwood says, taking a step away. "Oh, and (Y/N)… be cautious."

You lift your chest off the ground and watch as the General waltzes away, taking in the sights. You get to your feet and eye Weiss. She's intently staring you down with her hands on her hips. You rub the back of your head.

"So… hehe… you go practice and I'll… work on my… see ya!" You shout, bolting away.

Weiss' eyes follows you as you run into the nearest building. Weiss shakes her head, but can't help but smiling.

"Why am I even helping him?" She asks herself.

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Dylan remains calm, his mind at complete ease. He takes in a deep breath, holds it, allows the air to situate in his lungs, and then exhales. He slowly glides his foot behind his other, and raises his left hand to manipulate the water. A small tendril reaches Dylan's height. He slightly moves his hand around, causing the water tendril to move around and extend as it does so. He waves his hand beautifully through the air as if he was painting a canvas. The water flows beautifully through the air as Dylan controls it.

He then lifts his other hand with his palm towards the water below him. It raises like another water tendril, then he flicks his hand forward, sending the second tendril soaring through the air. It attempt to hit the first one, but it dodges out of the way. The two tendrils circle each other in a beautiful fashion. The colours, the glimpse of the sun, every drop of water that diverts from the herd shimmers with extravagance.

This is when Dylan is at his calmest. This is when Dylan feels closest to peace. Surrounded by water, linking to it's essence. Everything for him is just perfect at th-

"Dylan!"

Dylan huffs and allows the water tendrils to separate and rejoin the lake below. He returns to a neutral position and looks up to the source of the voice. Your head is poking off the side of the air pad, staring all the way down to the lake where Dylan is standing. A handy factor to his semblance is that he can traverse on water as natural as solid ground.

Dylan folds his arms as the water below him builds, lifting him like an elevator. To reach your height. He reaches you directly, even while you're lying down. You look directly at him as you lay there. You place your hands under your chin and start kicking your legs in the air like a child.

"Hey there," you wink.

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"What do you want, Slater? I'm training."

"Nothing really. I just ran away from Weiss and Ironwood for a bit, accidently ran into the girl's change rooms, almost got killed by Coco, managed to survive by spending hours helping her with…" You shutter." Clothes. After that I had to give my mind at ease by staring blankly at the sun which I've missed so much of. Aaaaand then I saw you down there. Say, have you ever tried creating, like, water clones to train with? It'd be more effective than my image training."

"You interrupted because you were bored?" Dylan clarifies, ignoring everything else you said.

"Well… kinda," you admit with a goofy smile.

Dylan shakes his head and begins his descent back to the lake.

"No, no, no, wait! There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about!" You shout, reaching down for him.

Dylan sighs but ultimately decides to appease you. He returns to his previous position, less than thrilled.

"Yes?"

"You spend a lot of time with Blake, right?"

Dylan nods.

"That's fair to say, yes."

"So… is she okay? She's very… well, she's more quiet and distant than normal."

Dylan thinks on your words. It's true that he and Blake have spent a lot of time going over notes, collaborating, and thinking of ways to halt the White Fang, but Blake has become near obsessed with it. Often times she gets lost when they talk, and by the look on her face Dylan can tell they're memories. Dylan does his best to calm her down, and very often does, but lately she's been leaving even him behind to think. Thus you do have merit with being concerned with Blake, but Dylan's likely the person who's observing the most.

"She… has changed, somewhat. If you really have concern, talk to her yourself. It means more then asking me," Dylan advises.

You slowly nod your head as you think of what to do next. Blake is your friend, along with all of team RWBY and JNPR. They offered to help you no matter what when you went over the edge. It's only fair if you do the same for any of them. Thus, you're not going to sit idly by while others take care of it. It was never your style to begin with. You snicker.

 _I guess I can't even ask for help when dealing with a friend. Heh…_

You get to your feet then look at Dylan.

"Thanks Dylan."

"Yeah."

Dylan's water platform lowers back to the lake while you stroll back to towards the dorms. You lazily slip your hands into your pockets and let your jacket fix itself around the interruption. You stop in your tracks, then look over your shoulder at the sun. You take one hand out of your pocket and reach for it, positioning the sun right above your palm.

"I've missed you glowing beauty," you whisper.

You return your hand to your pocket then continue on your way. You have some time left in the day, but you're not too sure what to do with that time. From what you know, Ruby, Yang, and JNPR should still be in the library. Weiss and Blake are… somewhere. Weiss is practicing for the competition tomorrow, and Blake is… brooding, maybe. Perhaps thinking up some plan, or something. Where? You have no idea. If you want to speak to her, to learn what her thought process is, you'll have to find her.

You let out a long huff at your indecisiveness. In the end, you decide to follow wherever you end up. It's how you've always lived.

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"Come on!" Yang shouts, smashing her fist on the table which scatters the pieces across the table.

Neptune chuckles nervously, half proud of himself for winning, half scared of what Yang will do to him for it.

"Well, that's game. Vale has taken control of Remnant," Ruby announces as she picks up all the pieces Yang scattered.

"One more game! I can beat him!"

Ruby thinks about one more game, but something prevents her from doing so. Where is Blake? Where are you? Is everything alright? These questions cycle through Ruby's mind to the point that she couldn't focus on the game.

"Actually, Yang, I think I'm done for now. Hey Jaune," Ruby calls out, looking over at Jaune. "You want to take my spot?"

Jaune smiles and rushes over, tumbling over his own chair.

"Sure, I-I'll play! Just, uh… Yang won't hurt me, will she?"

"I'm still worried about that," Neptune admits, hiding most of his body under the table while only his eyes and upper head show.

"Where're you going then?" Yang asks, obviously directed towards Ruby.

"You know… a walk," she smiles before heading out.

"You know… to find (Y/N)," Yang quietly corrects.

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Ruby skulks around Beacon, waving to the occasional friend she sees, but has her eye out for you or Blake. She glances over at the sun and sees its position in the sky.

"Wow, we were playing for a long time. It's almost night!"

As she turns her head back, she notices you resting against a tree. She giggles at your position, then approaches you. Once she gets close she realizes that you're snoring and drooling. She can't help but laugh more, but she manages to keep it in the best she can. Ruby takes a seat beside you, wrapping her hands around her bent legs to keep herself up. She remains beside you for about ten seconds with no complaints. Like before, she simply feels safe and has that weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Suddenly your eyes shoot open and you take in a sharp breath. Your pupils are shaking as you gaze forward. Ruby watches you with concern. You let out a breath to calm yourself down.

"It was just a…" You casually roll your head to the side and see a smiling Ruby. "GAH!" You fall to the side to escape whatever demonic horrors your mind cooks up. "Can you STOP scaring me!" You whine, pushing yourself back into a sitting position.

Ruby is currently busting a gut at your ridiculous behavior.

"I-I don't mean to," she laughs.

You brush yourself off then pout at her. She wiggles a little closer to you, but not enough to be noticeable.

"So what're you doing here?" She asks.

You lazily shrug.

"Not sure. I just thought I'd take a nap, I guess. Just waiting, you know?"

"For… Weiss? What are you two up to, anyway?" Ruby inquires, trying to quell any oddities in her voice.

"Hm? Oh, well I learned about some sort of singing competition that, if I win, I can go anywhere I want in Vale. But… well I can't sing, as you know, so Weiss 'volunteered,'" you say with air quotes, chuckling. "To participate for me. Besides, the winner can bring along a friend, so it's gotta be the two of us. Thus I just gotta wait till tomorrow, then the competition starts. So, I really can't do anything. It's all on Weiss," you speak, moving your hands behind your head and getting comfortable.

"Oooh, that makes sense. Weiss was keeping Blake up with her practicing, but Yang and me didn't hear it," Ruby says with a goofy smile. "So, where do you wanna go?"

You freeze at the question. It all relates back to what you want to tell Ruby. Then again, right now isn't a bad time to tell her. You huff, then look into Ruby's eyes. She's intently staring back at you, waiting with bated breath for your next words.

"I… well… hm…" You think of where to start, and what exactly to say. "I… guess I need to tell everyone, eventually, just to clear the air. But I wanted to tell you first. I think you deserve it the most, you know? You've been by my side from the very start, so… I don't know. I trust you." Ruby's butterflies stir up a storm in her stomach at your words, and she even develops a slight shade of pink along her cheeks.

"There… there was a reason that I was so affected by what happened all those weeks ago. I…" You somewhat fidget as you sit, evidently uncomfortable which is the exact opposite of what you normally are.

You set your hands beside you on the ground, huffing as you stare into the sky. Ruby gathers all the courage she can and slides her hand over yours. You look over at her, going a little pink yourself.

"T-Take your time," she shakily says. "I'm here to listen."

You nod.

"Well… when I was young I used to live with my parents. My mom. Clementine, was so nice. I loved her, along with my dad, Jet, which you've seen through that statue. He taught me how to fight, she taught me how to care. I… loved them a lot. But then our village was attacked by Grimm, and like an idiot, I thought a little kid could help keep them at bay," you explain, shaking your head and letting out a disappointed chuckle. "I took dad's sword, ran to the first Beowolf I saw, and got cut down instantly. In fact," you slip out of your jacket then raise your shirt over your shoulder, revealing your scar. Ruby covers her mouth when she sees it. "He left this on me. Almost a reminder. But," you lower your shirt and put your jacket back on. "I guess I deserved it. It would have been my end if my dad didn't jump in the way of the final blow.

"He was stabbed in the stomach, told me to run. I didn't want to… but…" Tears start forming in your eyes but have yet to drop. Ruby notices them. "My mom made me, pushed me away. Told me to run until I found help, then I could come right back. So I did… I ran and ran, bleeding all the way with Crimson Blaze. Finally I found a patrol, and all these police and even Huntsmen came. But my parents were dead, gone. I left them to die and I wasn't even allowed to see their bodies," you shake your head, truly remembering everything you can. "I guess it's better that way. Some lady took me away, held me close, told me not to cry but I couldn't help it. I just… I…"

You shake your head as the tears finally leave your eyes and roll down your cheeks.

"I got them killed, and I hated it. I tried to save them but I just got them killed, exactly like that village. That's why… that's why it hurt me so much."

At your crying and sorrow, Ruby moves from holding your hand to full on hugging you for comfort. You wrap your arms around her, burying your eyes into her red hood. Ruby doesn't even care right now, she just wants to make sure you're okay. She never imagined this is what you wanted to talk to her about, but she's happy. You're opening up, you're not keeping everything bottled inside, and you're finally acting like a regular person. Even Ruby's had these moments yet people were always there for her. She can only imagine how lonely you've been before coming here.

She squeezes you tight, pressing her soft cheek right up to yours. You try your best, and succeed, to stop the tears from flowing. Still, you don't break away from Ruby's hug. You sit there, holding her, embracing the care of the young woman.

At the same time a group of students walk a short distance away, leaving a building. Yang, along with JNPR, leave the library and head for their dorms. Jaune's wandering eyes are the first to notice what's happening, followed by Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and finally Yang. The moment Yang sees this, her eyes flare up in anger. Yet… she can't act on it. You both look so calm, so collected, so… right. Like that's where you're supposed to be. Pyrrha rests her hand on Yang's shoulder, calming the blonde down.

"Perhaps leaving them would be best," Pyrrha advises.

"If he does anything-"

"He won't. There's likely more to the story than we know."

You and Ruby finally break off, staring each other dead in the eyes. You're both red, but neither of you want to point it out.

"I… thank you, Ruby," you whole-heartedly say.

"Heh, you said my name," she happily says, acting like a little girl.

"Yeah… I did. But… I thought I should tell you, and everyone that. It… you guys deserve it. You've done a lot for me."

"Of course. I'd do anything!" Ruby declares.

You tussle her hair, making her pout.

"Thank you. But, I think you might want to join up with your sister over there," you say, flicking your chin towards the group.

You and Ruby look towards them, and as soon as you do they all look away as if they weren't watching. Ruby whines.

"Ooooh, Yang's gonna kill me."

"Well, she'd kill me too, so there's that," you joke. "Go on, I think I'm turning in for the night too."

You both get up and join the group. Nobody says anything, but you both know they're thinking it. The group fills with mindless chatter which mostly consists of Yang complaining about how she lost to Neptune and Jaune so easily. Weiss happens to be not too far behind after her hours of practicing. She doesn't gather attention, but simply observes from a few feet back. You depart from the group, heading to your dorm. RWBY and JNPR make it to their dorms, to which RWBY is greeted by a silent Blake.

While everyone is in their dorms, Harrier turns the corner, approaching RWBY and JNPR's dorms. He quietly makes his way down the hallway, his footsteps so light they don't make a noise. He passes the two dorms, heading to the end of the hallway. Once he's about to turn, he stops himself from bumping into a woman. He looks down at the three students, quickly taking in who they are.

"Y-You? You're here?" Cinder questions, her voice thinly layered with concern.

Mercury and Emerald share a look, but the three all focus on the man before them. Harrier starts chuckling, then brakes into a full on laugh. Cinder tries to remain calm, but she's unsure what this means. Once Harrier stops laughing, he shakes his head.

"I'm not surprised to see you here. Looking for Slater's dorm, perhaps? Well, whatever the case may be, you have nothing to worry from me." He passes by them.

Cinder can barely believe what she saw. What's he doing here? Harrier Slater…

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Today has been agonizing for a plethora of reasons. The first being this is truly the first day of Beacon. First you had to watch other students train, which is always a pleasant thing to watch. You're open minded enough to learn from other people's skills and mistakes. Anything someone may do that's extremely effective you may copy, manipulate, and make your own. Any mistakes you see you make a note of not to repeat. The worst part was having to do battle with your friend, Jaune. He had no chance against you at all, but you took the time to teach him a thing or two through combat. Pyrrha and Goodwitch recognized what you were doing, and both commended you for helping him. He learned a more effective way of striking, which makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Watching Dylan have to fight Yang was entertaining as well. However it seemed like Dylan was holding back. The two ended pretty evenly, but Dylan barely used his semblance. It's something you've been questioning more often, but you need a separate time to ask him about it. Other than those fights, nothing stood out to you too much.

After that was Pro- no, you made that mistake enough. After that was Doctor Ooblecks' class which was nothing like you were expecting. He spoke fast, he moved fast, and he never took a second to breathe. He asked you a few questions every now and then, but it was nothing you couldn't answer. You and Jaune had fun sitting together, and you even managed to help him answer a question or two throughout the class.

However you and Jaune talked through most of that class, making jokes and discussing how Jaune whooped Yang's butt in their board game. He admitted to focusing on Yang, and the guys did somewhat gang up on her just to watch Yang flare up. Though everyone knows to proceed at their own risk. Yang takes no prisoners, save her team.

But now it's Professor Port's class, the, debatably, easiest class you've ever taken. You learn little, mostly because you have a vast knowledge of Grimm, but also because he rants on and on about his adventures as a youth. Some of the stories are intriguing, but this one is about some field that he had to work on with no Grimm around whatsoever. It's just a pure bore. In this class you have to sit beside Weiss, which is not bad at all. Bothering her is entertaining, and she's actually a fun person to talk to at times. But right now she's just staring and the clock, which is ticking ever so slowly. When Weiss isn't even paying attention to the lesson, you know nobody else is. Well, maybe Pyrrha.

"So, you're ready for today?" You ask.

Weiss looks to you and nods.

"I have a few things I have to do first, but yes. If you could meet me at the theater I would appreciate it."

"Of course. What's the Ice Queen got going on?" You press, trying to converse to quicken the time.

"Oh… well…" Weiss thinks for a moment. "I suppose there's no way you can screw this up, so I guess I can tell you."

"Hey!"

"I managed to talk some sense into Blake last night. Got her to open up to us about what's been on her mind. It was the White Fang, which I should have known, and Ruby came up with the brilliant idea of investigating them as a team… and Dylan."

"Wait, why does Dylan get to go and I can't?" You complain, making sure not to talk louder than Port.

"One, you and I have the competition to go to, so there's no point in you doing anything to help. Two, Dylan knows more about the White Fang than any of us. If we're looking into them, it's clear we need him."

You lie your head on the desk and pout.

"That… that's actually fair."

Weiss smiles at the fact that you're accepting common sense, but she knows how much you like to join in on little escapades.

"Buuut," she starts, her voice clearly indicating she's cooking up some idea. "I suppose you could tag along with Ruby and I. We're going to the same place anyway."

You smile, eradicating any poutiness you had before.

"For real? You'd do that for me?" You ask in a childish tone.

"I'm already regretting this," Weiss moans, rolling her eyes.

You chuckle and lightly elbow her.

"I'm kidding. Sure, I'll tag along. Who knows what sort of mischief I could get into on my own."

"That's… very true," Weiss nods.

Jaune suddenly slides in beside Weiss, opposite to you. You quietly snicker, antsy to hear what this smooth talker has to say.

"Hey (Y/N)," he quickly greets before focusing his attention on Weiss. "So, Weiss, I was thinking after this… maybe we could grab a bite to eat?" He hopefully ask, to which Weiss does not respond. "And, uh… I got two tickets to that Spruce Willis movie if you wanna make that trip to Vale? I hear it's awesome!" He continues.

 _Why didn't I get invited? That does sound awesome!_

"Aaaaand, then after that, maybe we can study together? I mean you're smart and I'm… well, you know."

 _And he falters in a second._

Finally the time hits four, and the class ends. Port quickly apologies for his long story as everyone begins to shuffle out. Weiss gets to her feet and begins to walk away.

"(Y/N), I'll come get you later."

"W-Weiss… did you hear me?" Jaune shakily asks.

"No, no, no, yes," she snarkily answers, not even looking at Jaune.

Jaune groans as he slams his head against the desk. The rest of team RWBY come by. Ruby gives you a big smile and a wave, Blake nods, Yang tussles your hair, then does the same to Jaune.

"One day."

You stand up, move closer to Jaune, and pat his shoulder.

"Come on, man. Let's get out of here, else Port might explain to you the ways of wooing women."

Jaune lifts his head from the desk, rests his chin on it, and looks up at you.

"You think that would work on her?"

"HA! No," you honestly answer. "Hm… if anything… well, there's that dance coming up soon, right?"

Jaune nods, then he starts to get excited, bolting right onto his feet.

"You think she'd go to that with me?" He excitedly asks in a manner reminding you of an eager puppy.

You shrug.

"Maybe… I have a plan. You have a guitar, right?"

"Yeah, wait, how did you know that?"

"Long story, involves Nora and your room."

Jaune awkwardly blinks at you. You register his blink.

"No, no, no, no, no," you wave your hands in front of you. "Not like that! God, she… actually… nah, well, maybe… no! Buuuut… no!" You make up your mind. "But perhaps serenading Weiss might help? Music is romantic."

Jaune takes in your words and smiles.

"Yeah… yeah! Alright, thanks (Y/N)!" He cheers, rushing out of the room.

You smile, knowing you've given hope to a poor, young lad. You get to your feet and head towards the exit.

"So you were talking about me?" Nora whispers in a curious manner.

"WAAAH!" You shout, jumping a foot away, attracting the attention of any remaining students.

Nora is standing where you were, then in an instant she's in front of you.

"What was it about? Hm? Whaaat am I missing?" She interrogates, moving right up to you.

"Nothing! We-I-you, I-I mean Jaune was just… with Weiss and… I mentioned…" You nervously chuckle, absolutely flabbergasted.

Nora intently looks at you, squinting.

"I'm watching you," she threatens.

"Heh… hehe," is the only response your mind can come up with.

Nora zooms away in an instant, leaving your heart on the fritz. It's not calming down. You were genuinely scared you were going to die for a moment. Well, that, or… what you were talking about. You shake your head, getting any thoughts out of your head.

"Man, I… well, I am a teenager," you shrug.

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The girls, and Dylan prepare themselves by gearing up. All members of team RWBY are dressed in different clothing than normal. Dylan remains beside the door, arms crossed, patiently waiting for everyone to get ready. Once Ruby hops down from her bed, everyone seems to be set.

"Alright, let's go over what we're doing one last time," Dylan states.

"Right," Weiss starts. "Ruby, (Y/N) and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other robberies or inconsistencies. Once that's done, (Y/N) and I will need to leave."

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to deal out orders and recruit new members. Dylan and I will head there."

"But, I'll have to remain outside, on guard," Dylan adds. "Roman and the others can recognize me at a glance."

"I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going down in Vale. Getting information out of him will be cake."

"Right, and we'll all meet with Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!" Ruby cheers.

"Yeah!" A new voice says.

All the girls slip back towards Dylan, while he simply stares at the blonde monkey Faunus hanging from something right outside their window.

"Sun!?"

"How did you get up there?" Yang asks.

"Hey, if Neptune can do it, I can do. Speaking of," Sun flips off the branch and lands in RWBY's room. "Come on Neptune."

In an instant, Neptune slips in from around the corner of the room.

"Awww, thank god. That was REALLY high up."

"So we're getting back at that Torchwick guy, right?" Sun casually asks. His eyes soon land on Dylan. "And who's this? Another Faunus?"

"Dylan Brine, it's a… pleasure," Dylan states for lack of a better term.

"Sun Wukong," Sun greets. "Anyway, Torchwick? Butt kicking? That's the plan?"

"Well we were gonna investigate this… as a team," Blake drags out, trying to drop the hint.

"Sorry Sun, we don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to."

"Yet Slater and I are still part of his," Dylan adds, resting against the wall.

Blake looks back at Dylan, squinting.

"Not helping," she sharply whispers.

"Psh, come on! We can help! Right Neptune!"

"As long as I don't have to go back out there," Neptune nods.

Team RWBY share a glance.

"To be fair, Weiss and Slater will be gone, which leaves us two short of our original team. These two could fill in the spot, if they can pull their weight," Dylan voices.

"Hey, I can pull my weight just fine, thank you! Ask Blake!"

"Funny… Blake hasn't really mentioned you," Dylan smirks, glancing at Sun.

The two stare intently at each other until Ruby hops in the middle.

"Alright! Team rearrangement! Sun, you go with Blake and Dylan. Neptune, you go with Yang since she's all alone. That sound fair?"

Weiss thinks for a moment.

"Well, Ruby. Why don't you go with Yang? She's your sister, and it's not like Neptune can't fit in at the CCT," Weiss brings up.

In truth, she doesn't really care whether Neptune is there or not.

Ruby cackles.

"Ha, no! I'm coming with you too! Alright, let's go!"

Weiss rolls her eyes as she follows Ruby out of the room. The two stroll through the hall until they reach your room. Weiss regally knocks on the door, doing a short and sweet tune for the knock.

"That's Weiss, isn't it?" You shout. "Nobody knocks like that. Well, except Ms. Goodwitch. Ooooh my god, is it you ma'am?" You question in fear.

Ruby cracks up from your fear while Weiss can't help but smile.

"No, dunce. Hurry up!"

You open the door and the sight is something neither girls were expecting. You… don't have a shirt on. They can tell by the glistening spots around your body that you've recently gotten out of the shower, plus the wet hair is a dead giveaway. You're currently rubbing your head with the towel in an attempt to dry your hair. But the girls can't help but blush at your trained stature. It pays to be a Huntsman, especially on the appeal side. Females tend to stay in shape since their training so hard, and men… well, if you're the example, then nobody can complain.

Both girls lose their cool while their cheeks heat up.

"D-Dunce! Put a shirt on!" Weiss shouts.

You look down at yourself and realize you're indeed shirtless.

"Oh, crap, right. My apologies, fair ladies," you smile, taking a short bow which accidently shows your scar to both girls. You stand up straight again. "I'll be ready in just a moment."

The girls patiently wait outside, attempting to regain their cool. Neither notice the state of the other, not that they're very different. In less than thirty seconds the door opens once more and you're finally clothes in your regular black shirt under a green, hip length jacket. Crimson Blaze is steady at your side as well.

"Alright, let's go," you say, walking past the two girls. "Where are we going, anyway?"

Ruby and Weiss move to either side of you.

"The CCT tower. We could just go to the library, but somebody," Weiss eyes Ruby, to which Ruby responds with chuckling. "Wants to see the tower."

"Fair enough. The tower is really cool, even if I've visited it plenty. Alright, let's head out! By the way, love the outfits. I remember yours, Weiss, but that one looks good on you Little Red."

Ruby blushes at the compliment. Weiss rolls her eyes, a little annoyed.

"L-Let's just go."

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After a short walk the three of you make it to the CCT tower. Something was odd while you were walking, however. Both Weiss and Ruby were acting… odd. You're not exactly sure how, but it was definitely weird. You could just feel it. But there's no need to worry about that now. You're here, and you're gonna dig up whatever Weiss can find since you're useless.

"OOOOOH," Ruby coos. "I forget how big the tower is up clooose!"

"If I remember correctly, the Atlas one is bigger," you add, casually walking with your hands in your jeans pockets.

"You are correct – reason being is that it was the first. Atlas developed the cross continental transmit system to allow communication between the kingdoms. It was their gift to the world after the Great War."

The three of you reach the courtyard just in front of the tower.

"Eew, look at me. My name is Weiss, I know facts, I'm rich," Ruby mocks before covering her mouth to giggle.

You shake your head, snickering.

"Don't encourage her!" Weiss scolds.

"Alright, alright. I'll defend you in saying you never mentioned you were rich, so that's on Ruby," you admit, hands raised.

"Why are you on her side," Ruby pouts.

"But… I… Gah…" You huff, slouching. "You two are impossible. Let's just get a move on. We haven't got all day, Weiss."

"I know, I know. Come on then," she waves, continuing her journey to the tower.

"Wa-wa-wa-wa-wait! I wanna take a picture of the tower!" Ruby cries out, fumbling to get her scroll.

In the rush, Ruby's scroll falls out of her hands and bounces across the pavement, landing near a boot. Hearing the commotion, you stop and glance over your shoulder.

"Oh," the girl states, picking up the scroll. "You dropped this."

Ruby takes a moment.

"Penny?"

Weiss stops and turns around to see what's happening. She slowly walks beside you since you're in between Weiss and Ruby. Penny's eyes widen as she's at a loss for words. Ruby rushes up to her.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you since the night at the docks! Are you okay?"

"S-Sorry… I think you're confused…" Penny hiccups, tossing the phone into the air for Ruby to catch. "Uh… I think I have to go," Penny nervously says.

She then hurriedly walks away, leaving Ruby concerned, Weiss confused, and you not knowing who that girl even was. Weiss leaves your side and moves to Ruby.

"What was that about?" Weiss asks.

Ruby contorts her face in a thinking manner, but she obviously has no idea.

"I don't know… but I'm gonna find out! You two go on ahead. I'll see you later!" Ruby shouts as she follows her ginger friend.

You walk behind Weiss and place your hand on her shoulder.

"Come on. We were going to end up leaving her anyway, so at least now she has something to do."

Weiss huffs.

"I suppose. Come on then, lets make this quick."

You and Weiss walk side by side into the CCT. This isn't anything new since you've come here time and time again to visit Ozpin. It all looks the same, though there seem to be more people today. You and Weiss enter the elevator.

"Hello, welcome to the CCT," a robotic female voice greets. "How may I help you?"

"I would like to go to the communications room, please," Weiss pleasantly answers, a hand on her hip.

"Of course. Could you please place your scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?"

Weiss complies, reaching for her scroll then holding it against the terminal. The technology scans it, then allows you two to pass.

"Perfect! Thank you Ms. Schnee."

You lean against the side of the elevator and witness something that throws you off. The moment the elevator said her name, Weiss changes from sad, to fake happy, to angry, to an even faker happy, then finally frustrated. You raise your brow at Weiss' actions, but you assume she has a lot on her mind. Though Ruby did make you chuckle earlier, you know there's a lot more to Weiss than just a rich girl. Perhaps she just thought of something less than pleasant. Who knows?

"Thank you for coming with me," Weiss starts, not even looking at you. "I appreciate you- the company," she corrects.

You shrug.

"It's fine. You're helping me with some far more important than a small walk, so I'd say I owe you more than this," you simply put.

"You are right. Still… it's…" Weiss trails off, losing her point.

Seeing as how you two have alone time, you think of something relevant to ask.

"So, Weiss?"

"Mm?"

"Why do you shoot Jaune down so hard?"

Weiss frowns, disappointed at the topic you've chosen to bring up. She'd rather talk about nearly anything else. She huffs, knowing you, you won't simply accept an excuse.

"Boys never like me for me. It's always just the perks of my last name that catch interest. Jaune is no different. He's fauned over me since days one just because my name's Weiss Schnee. That's why I care little for his advances."

You can't necessarily argue what she's saying. In fact, you never really asked why Jaune always went after Weiss. There's no doubt she's a beautiful woman, but other than that you're unsure how much Jaune actually knows about her.

"You know… I know how you feel."

Weiss raises her brow at you.

"When I was a kid, and even now, a lot of people only cared about my last name. They only cared that I was the son of the renowned Jet Slater. Even some of my caretakers referred to me as just 'Slater' or 'Jet's son,'" you smile at Weiss. "But even then, there are some people who don't see you as just a Schnee, just like there are people who don't see me as just a Slater. Heck, you and I don't give a damn about each other's last names, and look how close we are."

Weiss' eyes widen and her cheeks heat up.

"D-Don't think we're close!"

You close your eyes and chuckle.

"The people at Beacon – students, teachers – none of them see me as anyone other than (Y/N). Well, there's Dylan, but well he's coming around," you smile, rubbing the back of your head. You return to being serious. "All of you guys don't care about my last name, and I don't think any of us care about yours. You're just… Weiss. I'm just (Y/N). Ruby's just Ruby. Pyrrha's just Pyrrha. So maybe you could give Jaune a little more problem. Hell, if I'm wrong then I'll bake you a cake," you bet.

Weiss, who was previously looking at the ground, lifts her eyes to yours. Your true stare, your honest look. It's so hard for her to contain herself. She knows Ruby likes you… but… you're doing a terrible job at just keeping it as Ruby.

The elevator door finally opens, and the tension filling the small space seeps out of the exit.

"W-We have a job to do," she frantically says, exting the elevator.

You smile at her flustered state.

"I got to her. Hope that helped you, Jaune," you say to yourself.

You throw your hands in your pocket and saunter out of the elevator, rubbing your jeans together as you step over your feet, walking like an idiot. You take a gander at your surroundings, which isn't anything special. There's a student at most of the terminals talking to someone, whether it be relatives, friends, or even partners

By the time you reach Weiss, she already has a place to sit. You follow her instantly to a terminal a few rows down, secluded from most. Weiss sits in the seat while you lean on the blocker, looking at the screen. The terminal registers the call, but during that time Weiss is evidently distressed. She thinks you can't see it, and you wouldn't be able to if it wasn't for the reflection of the screen. She's… frowning. Before you can say anything the screen lights up and a woman takes its place.

"Thank you for calling the Atlas… oh!" She reacts, seeing Weiss. "Ms. Schnee! Good afternoon. Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Wi-"

"You have a sister?" You cut in.

Weiss hushes you, which makes the woman look over to you.

"Oh, hello there."

You wave with two fingers.

"Heya."

"So, Ms. Schnee, what can I help you with?"

"I was hoping you could find some files for me? I've compiled a short list of what I need," Weiss asks as she places her scroll in a slot.

The data registers to the woman on the screen, but she seems slightly concerned.

"There… are some sensitive documents on this list ma'am. May I ask what this is for?"

"School project," Weiss lies. "No need to worry, I'll handle this information with care."

"Very well… the data's being transferred now. Are you sure you don't want to talk to your father?"

"I'm sure," Weiss responds with a fake smile.

"Well then… have a nice day!"

The screen goes black, showing Weiss with, once again, a sad look on her face. She takes in a deep breath and stands up, smiling at you.

"Ready to go? We only have an hour left," Weiss says, getting away from what just happened.

You push off the support and head to the elevator.

"Yeah… and…" You slow down, moving beside Weiss. "Are you okay, Weiss?"

Weiss smiles at you.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Weiss dismisses.

You know she's not okay, but nothing will be gained from drilling her right now. Besides, you'll have plenty of time with her to ask later on. For now it's time to get moving.

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This is the second time you've been in an ophera house. It wasn't hard getting to Vale and finally to the theater where all this is happening. Weiss was taken away with all the other performers while you were given front row seats. Thus you're patiently sitting in the front row surrounded by parents and siblings of the other singers. Though everyone is staring at you for a reason you can't understand. You're not doing anything odd. You're sitting in the chair, stretching your legs forward to rest on Crimson Blaze's hilt. You couldn't exactly fit it beside you when you sat down, so you used it to get as comfy as you could.

You click your tongue as you rock in your chair.

"Gaahh, so boooored," you whine, letting your head fall back. "When does it start?"

"In a few minutes, in fact," a man responds.

You lift your head off the back of the chair and look over at him. He's a father, you think. He looks to be that age, especially with the hint of grey around the edges of his hair. Besides that, he's wearing a suit. Granted a boyfriend or brother could be wearing that, but at his age its unlikely he's not married. This is all speculation, however.

"Oh, thanks. Um… who're you here for?" You asks, attempting to kill time.

"My daughter," he humbly laughs. "She's thirteen, but she's really talented. I'm so nervous for her," he admits.

You smile.

"I'm sure she'll do great."

"I hope so. Who're you here for? Girlfriend?"

"What? Ha, no. I'm here with my friend, Weiss."

The man leans on his chair, closer to you.

"Weiss? Weiss Schnee?"

You casually nod.

"Mhm."

"Wow… this is going to be amazing," he says to himself, resting back in his seat.

You chuckle and lean back in your own chair, drawing circles with your legs and your weapon. Unknown to you, other than the nosey people watching you from your row, there are two others. Both are far away, and both have their own reasons for being here. The first is Harrier, standing on one of the upper balconies since he refuses to sit down. This was all his doing, after all. If he hadn't told you where you could find your home, you never would have done this. Besides, he wishes to know the outcome of this situation.

The other has a different stake in all of this. Glynda Goodwitch takes a seat a few rows behind you, dressed formally for the occasion, and so you and Weiss won't spot her at a glance. She's here to watch over you, for one, and to see how Weiss does. She was the one who recommended the song, after all.

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 _Weiss huffs in frustration._

" _No. No. Definitely not," she says as she swipes past each song. "Why can't I find a fitting song?"_

 _Glynda enters the room which Weiss is practicing in, which just happens to be a training room Weiss occupied for this. Glynda was confused when she heard complaining rather than fighting, especially from Weiss. Well, the complaining might not be new, but not here. Thus Glynda enters the room._

" _Having trouble, Ms. Schnee?" Glynda politely asks._

 _Weiss shakes her head._

" _No, it's just something stupid. I can't find a song to sing."_

 _Glynda raises her brow, now admittedly intrigued at the situation Weiss is in._

" _Sing? What are you singing for?"_

" _Oh, some competition (Y/N) wanted me to do so he could visit his home town. The winner gets a trip there, see, and (Y/N) could never win a singing competition on his own."_

 _Glynda instantly has mixed emotions about this._

" _He's going there, hm? Hmhm, it's been some time since I've been there, myself."_

" _Oh? You knew (Y/N) when he was a child?" Weiss asks, focusing more on her teacher than a song._

 _Glynda nods._

" _Yes, in fact I knew his father… quite well. But I suppose it makes sense he wants to visit there. He hasn't been there since his father died. I… remember that."_

" _You were there?"_

 _Glynda stares off into the distance._

" _I was the Huntress who escorted the guard there. I remember seeing Jet s- dead… I remember holding (Y/N) as he sobbed into my clothes. Lots of bad memories are kept there, Weiss. If you intend to go with him, you best take care. With everything that's happened recently I don't know how he'll react," she finishes, a sad smile on her face at her own memories._

 _Weiss solemnly nods._

" _I will…"_

 _Glynda collects herself, reasserting her teacher role._

" _However, if you want my recommendation, I could give you a song?"_

" _Really?" Weiss blinks, confused. "Okay. What is it?"_

" _May I?" Glynda asks, reaching for Weiss scroll. Weiss allows her to take it, and Glynda inputs a few codes. "This song… well, if you can believe I was once a student, this was our song when I was younger."_

" _Our… song?" Weiss questions._

 _Glynda thinks back to Jet. He always said this was their song, and she didn't argue it ever. It was perfect, and maybe their song could help you find closure in your home._

" _Yes… our song." Glynda clears her throat. "Good luck, Ms. Schnee. Carry on."_

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The lights dim, and the spot lights focus on the stage.

"First off is a very special guest. Please welcome to the stage… Weiss Schnee!" The announcer states.

The theater fills with claps, and you're not exception. The curtains open enough for Weiss to pass through, then close behind her. She approaches the microphone and scans the audience. She ends her scan on you, right in the front row.

"Knock it out of the park, Weiss!" You shout as you clap.

Weiss shakes her head.

"Dunce," she snickers.

Weiss takes in a breath, standing as regal as she can. Once the clapping dies down the music begins – a soft piano melody. Glynda smiles at her choice of song.

 _Long ago, before we met,_

 _I dreamed about you._

 _The peace you'd bring._

 _The songs we'd sing._

 _The way you'd make things new._

Her voice is near angelic to you. You never imagined her voice to be so amazing, and you instantly know you made the right choice. A goofy smile can't help but sit on your face as you watch Weiss give it her all. Glynda is almost on the verge of tears from simple memories this song brings up. Harrier is surprised. He knows this was Glynda and Jet's song.

 _Then one day, you arrived._

 _I heard your angel cry._

 _Helpless, small, and perfect._

 _Welcome to your life._

 _And on that day, I made a vow._

 _Whispered and true._

 _No matter what, no matter how,_

 _I made this promise to you._

 _I will cling, I will clutch._

 _I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away._

 _I won't leave, I won't go._

 _I will stay with you all our days._

Holding every note perfectly, hitting every tone, Weiss sings with pure passion that makes the audience shake. Between her beautiful voice and the soft music that pulls emotion out of anyone's heart… even yours. You just can't stop smiling at her.

 _Years of joy have passed since then._

 _With time I've seen you grow._

 _Watched you play, new each day._

 _I begged the time to slow._

 _And though I miss the little girl,_

 _You've made me awful proud._

 _Funny how our lives change,_

' _Cause you're my hero now._

 _But things in life will rearrange._

 _Friends come and go._

 _Don't ever doubt, don't ever fear,_

 _I'm always here and you know._

 _I will cling, I will clutch,_

 _I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away._

 _I won't leave. I won't go,_

 _I will stay with you all our days._

Weiss pauses, allowing the music to continue. She opens her eyes and looks towards the back of the room.

 _I will stay with you… all our days._

The music stops and is instead replaced with a flood of clapping, whistling, and over all cheering. Glynda is clapping as well, even if she's flooded with mixed emotions and memories. Still, the fact that Weiss could bring out those feelings is testament to her performance.

Weiss smiles at the audience and gives them a polite wave before stepping back. She turns around and heads to the back of the theater, behind the curtain. You push out of your seat, return Crimson Blaze to its rightful place, then jump towards the stage, curling into a ball to spin a few times then opening up and landing expertly. You dart off your back leg and follow Weiss, which causes some commotion. You push through the curtains and focus on Weiss.

"Weiss!" You shout gaining her attention.

"(Y/N)? What're yo-"

You run up to her, place your hands on her hips, and then lift her into the air as you twirl around.

"That was amazing! I didn't know you were THAT good! You sent shivers down my spine," you finish as you put her back down.

Weiss responds by clocking you in the noggin.

"What're you thinking coming back here?" She scolds.

You rub the spot Weiss hit and chuckle.

"Hehe, sorry. I couldn't help myself. Still, you were amazing."

"Yeah, yeah, go back to your seat. I'll see you when this is over."

You nod before running back towards the stage. Weiss huffs, shaking her head at your actions.

"You've got a supportive boyfriend," another girl comments.

Weiss' face changes complexion in an instant.

"H-He's not my boyfriend!" She shouts.

"Oh, my bad. I think he might have a crush on you though," the girl giggles.

Weiss sighs.

"No… he likes… someone else," she admits, thinking of her young leader.

"Oh… one way, huh? That always sucks."

"One wa- I DON'T LIKE HIM!" She defends.

The girl giggles.

"Whatever you say.

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The competition was amazing, but you couldn't get over Weiss' performance no matter how many other guys and girls sung for you. They were all amazing, no doubt, but she was clearly on a whole other level. The entire thing took about an hour and a half, which seemed far too long for your liking, but you managed to pull through.

Now it's time for the decision to be made. From what you heard from the other parents talking, the singers' guest was supposed to be here so they can leave immediately. Once the winner is declared, they're lead to a Bullhead around the back of the building, and they take off immediately. You like that. No wasting time. Though it is getting late, so you're unsure about how much daylight you have. It should be enough. Judging from the coordinates, your village isn't too far away.

The contestants line up, ready for the judges to give their decision. Weiss is near the middle, staring straight ahead like all the others. You keep your eyes on her, not really caring for anyone else up there.

"First we want to thank everyone who participated in this event. You all did marvelously and should be proud of that. But there can only be one winner, and that person is…

…

…

…

Weiss Schnee!"

Everyone, even the losing contestants, clap at Weiss' victory. She courtly bows at everyone as a thank you.

"Now please, Ms. Schnee, bring your guest with you to the back of the theater. The Bullhead is awaiting you there."

Hearing that you finally get to leave you hop out of your chair and approach the stage. Instead of some marvelous spinning jump like you did last time, you simply hop onto the stage and approach Weiss.

"Congrats, Ice Queen. Ready to go?"

"I'll bring someone else if you call me that again."

You raise your hands and chuckle.

"Alright, alright, no need to resort to such drastic measures. Ready to go?"

Weiss nods.

"It will be… interesting."

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The pilot almost seemed confused at the coordinates. Most people like to circle around Mt. Glenn or visit the Forest of Foreverfall, but not you two. You're heading to a pretty obscure location. The pilot said it'll take little more than ten minutes to get there, so you and Weiss sit beside each other on the Bullhead.

"Hey, Weiss."

"Mm?"

"When we were in the CCT… you seemed… sad, I guess, when calling your company. Why?"

Weiss freezes up at the mention of what happened. She didn't think it'd be a topic of discussion, but then she never really knows what you're going to talk about.

"It… was nothing. Just butterflies from calling," she waves off.

"You're lying. You didn't even want to talk to your family?"

"We had things to do. I didn't want to take up the time. Besides, this isn't about me. This is about you and what you want. Come on, we can talk about that later," she says, attempting to brush it under the rug.

"Somehow I doubt we will. But you know if you're ever feeling anxious… I'll listen." Weiss looks into your eyes, hopeful as you speak. "It's the least I can do. You're some of the best friends I've had. Come to think of it, this had been a good year for friends."

"Hey," the pilot interrupts. "We're approaching your coordinates. It's, uh, a village?"

"Yes," you instantly shout. "Drop us there, please."

The pilot obeys, circling around the village to find a landing spot. He sets the Bullhead down just outside the village in, what looks to be, a makeshift landing area. He unlocks the Bullhead doors.

"Alright, you've got a few hours. When the time comes I'll contact you on your scroll, and if something happens then you contact me, capiche?"

You nod.

"Thank you, sir. We'll see you later."

You and Weiss hop out of the Bullhead and finally see the village. For you it's like a blast from the past. It's not nearly as destroyed as you thought it was. In fact, it looks really good. It mainly consists of about a dozen buildings within a circular area, along with a hillside not far away. As you and Weiss approach the village, memories flood in as if a dam had crumbled. You remember practicing on that hillside and playing with your father and mother. You remember the adults keeping the place alive, selling foods that they either harvested or that your father collected. You remember your mother always getting a discount at shops because of the contributions your family made to the village. You remember everyone smiling at you as you ran through the pathways, a happy child with nothing to fear.

Weiss can tell you're out of it right now. Your stare is blank and you haven't moved for a few minutes. She can only imagine what's going on in your head, so she doesn't disturb you. From what Glynda told her, and from what you've said, you need this. You need time to remember and reflect.

"That…" You say, slowly pointing at a building on the outer left of the village. "That's… my house. Which means…"

You jog forward scanning the ground. Weiss follows you, though she merely walks. She looks around herself, then notices something on the hill. It's… some small structure? No, a decoration? She's unsure at this distance, but it may have something to do with you, so you'll likely bring her up there. She returns her eyes to you, and what she sees is surprising. You're kneeling over something… crying?

Weiss rushes to your side.

"(Y/N)? (Y/N)! Are you oka-"

She reaches you and sees what you're staring at. It's an outline of two people lying side by side. One is reaching for the other, but that body is lying flat.

"Is that…"

"My parents," you say, barely over a whisper. "This… is where my parents died."

Your hand slowly reaches to your shoulder, resting on the scars you gained. Weiss notices this.

"Those scars…"

"I got them here. When my village was attacked I tried to help, but was only a hindrance. These scars are what caused this."

Weiss places her hand on your shoulder for support. You slightly turn your head towards Weiss, but quickly return to looking at the outlines. Something is odd about the outlines to you, however. It's obvious by the structure that your father is the one lying still while your mother is crawling to him. Seems odd that Jet would fall first, given everything he can do. But perhaps he died saving your mother. You weren't there, you don't remember, and you weren't even allowed to see their corpses when you got back.

You shake your head and stand up.

"I… guess we should continue on."

You leave the outlines and approach your house. Weiss looks at you with concern, but she quickly follows along. You open the door and walk in. It's simple. You didn't live like kings, but you were comfortable. You ignore the main room and go straight for your room, which is down the hall. Weiss looks all over, gathering anything she can. There's one thing that catches her eye – a picture. She breaks off from your path and heads toward that. She grabs it off a shelf and stares at it.

It's you, young, in your father's arms. He's holding you on his shoulder, flexing his other arm, and you're doing the same thing. Your mother, a beautiful woman, stands just in front of Jet, resting her head on his chest.

She's a ginger with long flowing hair and pale skin, complimented by freckles. She's of an average build, or so it looks like in the picture, and is wearing a very well made red dress with what seems to be an apron covering it. She has a beautiful smile. Seeing all three of you smiling, Weiss can tell that yours is a mix of your parents. You seem like a happy child too. In fact, when she takes a look at a few other pictures around your house, all of them are of you smiling. One is you and your father training with wooden swords. Your father is surrendering while you point the sword at his throat. Weiss chuckles at that one.

"Cute kid," she whispers.

Weiss puts the picture down and gets back on your trail. One door is open, so she heads to that one first. You're there, staring at what used to be your room. Small toys, pictures, and other childish things litter the room. Weiss walks in, which grasps your attention.

"Hey," you blandly greet.

"You okay?"

You huff.

"Yeah, just… it's a lot to remember, you know. At least," you grab a picture of your family, which is the same one Weiss was looking at. "I get to remember what my parents looked like. I didn't remember my dad had a scar, and I didn't even know my mother was ginger. Sad, huh?"

Weiss shakes her head.

"It was years ago, you can't blame yourself for that."

"I know… still… I just…" You huff once more, trying to get your emotions in check. "I've never felt so emotionally weak, you know? I'm conflicted with everything, and… I just…"

"Hey," Weiss interrupts, hugging you. You're completely thrown off by this. Weiss never hugs you; hell, she usually pushes you away when you hug her. "Leave the overthinking to me and Blake, huh?"

You chuckle.

"Yeah… thank you, Weiss. For bringing me here, for… that. For everything."

Weiss slowly nods, smiling.

"How about we look around more? Like that hill?"

"Sure, lets go," you agree, happier than you were a few seconds ago.

You and Weiss leave the building and walk through the village. You point out all the buildings that you remember, mostly the shops and such. One man made figures out of wood that you loved to play with. He'd give you one a week for free if you helped him find the wood for it. He was a nice man, from what you remember. There was a vendor who sold fruits and vegetables. If you remember correctly, your mother was good friends with her. They usually harvested said fruits and vegetables. Weiss smiles the entire time as you explain your home. You're more enthusiastic now than when you were staring at the outlines.

While speaking, you both get to the hill. Weiss intentionally guides you towards the strange objects. As you traverse over the hill you notice the small objects as well. You and Weiss approach them, but Weiss instantly regrets her decision. You both stare at makeshift gravestones reading off Jet and Clementine Slater. You stare at it for a moment, then… slowly… smile.

"Nice to see they were laid to rest."

"Not all Huntsmen get so lucky," Weiss adds.

"Well… I'd rather die protecting my child than getting some sort of grave. I guess… I think I resented them, for some time. Hated they let themselves die and left me alone. But now that I'm older, that I know how the world works… well, I'd do the same thing."

You lift your hand away from your side, attracting your weapon, then spin around and smack a kunai out of the air.

"Willing to die as a Huntsman, hm?" Aza taunts, lowering her hand.

Weiss turns around, at first confused on what's happening but once she sees a woman with ill intent she gets ready for any battle that may transpire. You stare down Aza, not smiling, no emotion.

"You have no respect, do you?" You ask.

"It's just a Slater. You're all despicable," Aza spews.

You clench your fist.

"Aza, not here. You want to fight? We move this somewhere else."

"Hm, fine. If you don't want to be buried with your parents, that's your choice."

"Weiss, your glyph. I want to be far from here."

Weiss nods, casting three of her speed glyphs for each of you. You, Aza, and Weiss run over the glyphs, moving at lightning speed through the forest. You and Aza keep your eyes on each other. Aza's maniacally smiling at you, excited to finally have a one-on-one with you. She's going to tear you apart.

"(Y/N), who is this?" Weiss questions.

"That's Aza Brine… Dylan's sister. She's a White Fang fanatic with a hatred towards me, for some reason."

"How did she know you're here?" Weiss questions.

You stare at her.

"I don't know…"

You continue to run, completely abandoning the village in the distance. Going through the forest at such a fast rate, you want to make sure you're nowhere close to the village, just in case. Once a good distance away you speak to Weiss.

"Stop the glyphs, we'll fight here."

Weiss nods as she lets the glyphs dissipate. You, Weiss, and Aza slide to a stop, surrounded by trees. Aza surveys the area, then smiles. She waves her arms around, creating a fire circle around the three of you. She spreads her hands, extending the circle around you all. It tears down the forest, burning a segment of it to ash. She stops it, allowing the fire to burn away. You look around to see the flat battlefield that's slowly darkening as the day ends.

"Amazing… she doesn't looked tired from that at all," Weiss comments, to which Aza smiles.

"Weiss, you stay out of this. I'm dealing with Aza," you say, stepping in front of Weiss.

Weiss shakes her head.

"No way, you're not doing this alone!"

"Let her play, Slater. Killing the Schnee whore is an extra prize," Aza smirks.

Weiss clenches her fist.

There are a few extra trees that were within the circle Aza created. She shoots a few flames at them, lighting them up to create light and set a mood.

"This place, Slater, Schnee, is the place you will be buried. I hope you're ready." She slips two kunai down her sleeves and to her hands, then sets them ablaze. "Last time I didn't get to fight you, Slater. Now… I'll end you!"

You attract your hilt to your hand while Weiss pulls out Myrtenaster. You dash forward, leaving Weiss behind. Aza bolts forward too. You both meet in the middle, creating a collision of your blades and the gust you both created. The wind shoots out around you, shaking the flames that bloom bright. You push your blade forward, over powering Aza. She grinds her teeth, but soon flashes a smile. She slips her kunai over your sword and locks it on the other side, then pulls you in as she goes for a knee. You move your left hand down to catch Aza's knee. You tighten your grip on her knee then drop yourself to the floor. Because her kunai are still hooked on your blade, she goes down with you. You use one leg to push her over top of you, letting the kunai disconnect and her to go right over. Weiss joins the fray, leaping down and driving her rapier into Aza's chest, slamming her on the ground.

You roll once then push yourself away with your free hand. You twirl through the air and manage to regain your footing. You sheath Crimson Blaze and reattach it to your belt.

 _Her kunai are too small. Attacking with my sword will leave too many openings. Same goes for Weiss. I'm gonna have to go with just my hands… or…_

Weiss and Aza continue to fight, sparks erupting each time their weapons hit. Weiss is clearly faster than Aza, but Aza's dual weapons more than compensate for Weiss' speed. But from what you're seeing, Weiss is losing some ground. The same problem you thought of. The long weapons just cannot defend and attack effectively. Weiss knocks Aza's hand away, then strafe's back to dodge the other weapon. Aza pursues her, expertly slicing away at Weiss as the Heiress manages to keep herself protected.

Aza lights one of her kunai on fire then whips it at Weiss. Weiss activates a glyph to speed to the side, only to reveal you, rushing at Aza. You swipe the kunai out of the air, spin it with your finger then catch it in the icepick grip, and attack Aza. She hops back, grabbing a new kunai from her pants. You follow up, slicing at her to which she guides away, then follows with a slash. With your free hand you quickly press on her wrist to guide the kunai away from you and under your other arm. You bring your elbow down on said arm, then slash her head, but she arcs her body down, your kunai grazing her nose as she slides around to the back of you. She spins her kunai around and attempts to cut into your back. You pivot your body and attempt a defensive stance, but Weiss joins once again, thrusting her sword to Aza. Aza grinds her teeth, retreating from her current location so she isn't hit.

You spin the kunai around your finger, smiling as Weiss positions herself beside you.

"Things are getting heated, huh Aza," you wink.

Aza grinds her teeth, growling. You're getting under her skin already, which is good. She'll start to mess up. Aza slowly closes her fists as she moves them near her chest. She throws her hands out, sending a massive wave of fire all over the place, burning the few trees that were still standing.

"Weiss!"

"Yeah!"

Weiss darts through the fire, readying to pierce Aza. She cuts through right in front of Aza and attacks. Aza chuckles, easily jumping back to avoid Weiss. She readies a counter attack… until she realizes you're not with Weiss.

"Head's up!"

Aza looks up, but it's too late. You cut Aza down, slicing right down her stomach. You land, bending your legs to absorb the shock, yet still flashing a smile at getting a good hit in on Aza. Aza's brought off her feet, almost falling flat on her face. She gleems into your eyes, hatred bubbling at your cockiness.

Aza grips her kunai tighter, then hastily attempt to attack you. She uses both weapons to attack as much as she can, but you easily follow all her movements and keep both weapons at bay with just one. You guide her attacks elsewhere, dodge, or straight up block whatever Aza throws at you. Aza attempts a standing sweep, which you simply lift your leg to dodge, but at the same time you deflect an incoming attack. She pursues you, forcing you to keep stepping back as her flurry of strikes reign down upon you. You block a horizontal attack, dodge to the side, duck under a kunai then counter with a quick cut. She stumbles back, but quickly attacks again, this time with kicks.

She executes a roundhouse, which you block with your forearm. You twist your hand around to grasp her foot, then pull her closer. She attempts to stab you with her closest hand, but you block it with your own kunai, push both your hands over her chest, then push down, slamming her into the rough terrain. Aza twirls her body around, augmenting her feet with fire as she spins, assuring you back off. She flips herself onto her feet, lets the fire go out, then attacks again. You smirk at her charge, then duck so she runs right into Weiss' blade. Aza stops before she's impaled, but Weiss isn't finished there. Weiss creates a glyph behind her which she hops up, and launches herself over you and at Aza. She strikes the girl as she passes over her, then creates a glyph to land on and bounce off. She twirls down at Aza, passing over her shoulder, getting a hit, then landing gracefully close to the ground. Weiss quickly initiates a haste glyph, turns towards Aza, and repeatedly stabs her in the stomach, eating away at Aza's aura.

While Weiss has her, you toss the kunai into the air, grab it with your mouth, and then unsheathe Crimson Blaze. You sprint around the girls like a semi-circle, and Weiss is the edge. Once you reach the straight line Weiss backs off from Aza and creates a line of haste glyphs, reaching from Weiss to you. You both dash forward at a breakneck speed that Aza can't keep up with. You both meet at the same spot, slash Aza, then turn yourselves around at either end to repeat. You do this three times before ending the combo. Weiss slides this time, taking out Aza's feet so she's tripping forward. You sheath Crimson Blaze then jump over Aza. You straighten your body and turn yourself around, grab the back of Aza's head, and slam her down hard.

Both you and Weiss gain some distance from the woman as she lies motionless.

"Did… we do it?" Weiss asks, breathing heavily.

"No," you answer.

 _But I don't get it. She wouldn't have come into this fight unless she knew she'd win. What's she hiding? She can't beat me at close quarters combat, let alone both of us. What's her trump card?_

You watch Aza's body as it twitches, life coming back to the young woman, and she finally gets to her hands and knees. She spits out some saliva then starts laughing.

"I was told… I wouldn't beat you like this. It… aggravates me… but I won't be messing around anymore…"

You can feel the temperature rise as she gets to her feet. Her semblance is going to be used, you know it. But… to what extent?

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Dylan remains silent on a warehouse not too far from his goal. So far everyone seems to be doing what's planned, and hopefully something will come up from it. Honestly, Dylan's information on the White Fang is running thin. As more operations start his knowledge is waning.

But for now he has to wait for Sun and Blake. He couldn't enter since they'd recognize him instantly, but those two would have more of a cha-

Sun and Blake crash through the window, running at a breakneck speed.

"What?" Dylan questions, until one of the Atlas mechs breaks through the concrete wall, running after them. "Damnit!"

Dylan runs across the building and attempts to regroup with his friends. He hops over one building which lands him in between the robot and his friends. Dylan leaps towards them, facing the mech. He activates his weapons, launching a massive wave of air at the mech while projecting him forward.

He lands on the same building as Blake and Sun.

"What happened?" He shouts.

"Who cares right now! Don't we have, I don't know, back up or something?" Sun desperately hopes.

"Got it!"

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Aza launches her arm forward, sending a tunnel of fire spiraling at you.

"Whoap!"

You slide to the side, but the tunnel curves to get you. Seeing this, you start running from the fire. Small tendrils break off from the main group and drive themselves at you. You leap over one like a hurdle, tilt your entire right side back, then continue the motion to grab the ground with your right hand, cartwheel over it, proceed into a series of backhand springs to avoid each attack, then, seeing the main tunnel of fire quickly approaching, you launch yourself into the air.

"Behind you!" Weiss shrieks.

You cock your head to the side to get a glance, but by that time a fireball digs into your back. The force sends you flying straight into the original tunnel. The fire tears at your aura as you're pushed to the air then slammed onto the ground, the fire pummeling you from the air.

Weiss refuses to sit back, rushing to your side.

"I don't think so," Aza smiles, erecting a massive wall of fire to cut you and her off. "I'll have my own fun with you."

Weiss growls at her. She's not allowed to hurt her friends! Weiss rolls her weapons barrel, selecting a dust. She spins around, then shoves the blade into the ground. A large patch of ice covers the entire area.

The sudden ice below you gives you a split second chance. You dig the kunai into the ice, then slip yourself around to slide away. The fire persists in following you, but now you're not being continuously pelted by it. You slide to a halt when you see the giant wall of fire separating you and Weiss, however it doesn't cover the entire field. You may still have a chance to rejoin the Heiress. Unfortunately, Aza seems to know what you're doing. The wall of fire starts launching smaller fire balls at you.

"Gah, hey!" You shout, skating away from the fire.

Dozens of fire balls land around you, attempting to turn you into barbeque. You slide all around, the fire hitting small patches, rendering the ice nothing more than mist. You turn yourself around to see the predicament.

"Mist… maybe…"

You look forward and keep skating to avoid any danger. You circle around your location, admittedly having fun at your current predicament. More the skating then the potential roasting alive. You find the limit of the fire wall and pass it, but the fire continue to shoot out of the wall, just now on this side.

"Oooof course."

At the same time Aza and Weiss are locked in combat, though far different from last time. Aza's focusing more on her semblance now, pushing Weiss back.

Weiss spins around, shooting ice crystals at the incoming fire balls. She then speeds forwards, twirling to hit Aza. Aza surrounds herself with flame, forcing Weiss to recalculate. She skates around Aza's fire as she stalls to come up with a plan, but she's also focused on not being hit by the constant attacks Aza's throwing at her. Then she thinks of something to contain her. Weiss skates to a stop, selects another form of dust, and slams her weapon into the ground. Around Aza blocks of earth build up, forming a sort of earth prison around her. Aza floods the inside with fire, slowly breaking the rock apart. Soon enough the entire prison explodes, but that's Weiss plan. Weiss rushes Aza right away, her once plain blade now dotted with a glowing white design.

Aza manages to catch onto Weiss' plan, and counters with her own. Aza lights her own arm ablaze and quickly clotheslines Weiss. Weiss bounces across the ice, dropping her weapon in the process and becoming dazed. Aza smiles, then combines her hands together, one over the other, and sends a fire tendril to Weiss. The things soars through the air, twisting and turning, but inevitably going after its target.

You slide beside Weiss, grabbing her waist and getting her out of the way just before the tendril slams down on her location. You swing her to your back, keeping her close and keeping on the move as Aza sends dozens of fire balls at you.

"Weiss, you awake?" You ask with attempted care, but the situation doesn't call for it.

"Mrm… mm… yeah," she moans.

"Listen, we need to think of something. I don't… KNOW," you jump over a tendril that just grazes your foot, then land and keep skating. "How much gas she has in the tank, but I know I can't dodge anything forever. We have to take her down, fast."

"So… what do you think?" Weiss asks, attempting to get back to normal.

"I was thinking mist, but that would restrict our visibility too. Perhaps… if we make her shoot… NO!" You see a tendril coming from the back moving faster than you are.

You spin yourself around, taking the brunt of the attack. You're launched off your feet and Weiss detaches from you. You cringe at the pain, which your aura dispels quickly, and focus on getting Weiss. You straighten your body to land faster than her, then skate to her location, grabbing her before she can hit the ground.

"W-Weiss, listen. Fire can't exist without oxygen, right?"

"Y-Yeah? Why?"

"If you can create a strong enough vortex with your dust, we can neutralize any of her attacks. I can take her out once that happens."

"That… is actually a good idea."

You smile.

"Now get going Weiss. I'll distract the hot head."

You slide to the edge of the area and set Weiss down. Immediately you bolt off again, now determined to get on Aza's bad… worse side. You slide past her, turning on your more annoying side.

"So Aza, ever think of going to a sauna? You'd fit right in?"

Aza grinds her teeth in frustration.

"Is it so hard for you to just give up and die?" She snarls.

You skate a circle around her then stop.

"Yeah, I'd say so. I'm stubborn, so," you shrug, smirking.

"Then… there's no holding back," Aza smirks, concentrating her power. "I'll use everything to kill you, then the Schnee, and even that Ruby girl."

Your eyes widen in despair. How does she know about Ruby? She's never met her, ever. You become even more determined, teeth clenching, fist shaking.

"Threatening a little girl, huh? That's petty," you joke, trying to play off the anger building in you. "But I suppose coming from someone like you it doesn't matter. Hey, do you ever get hot flashes? Or is it just all the time? Perhaps getting cooler would be helpful, but I doubt you-"

"SHUT UP!" She shouts, throwing a fire ball at you.

You lean out of the way.

"Well, that's just cruel."

Aza raises her hands, erupting flames from all around her.

"I'll torch you, then that other Slater! I'LL END YOU ALL!"

The ground starts to shake from the power she's emitting and how much fire is piercing through the ground. No doubt it's really getting distracting. Despite that, you need to keep your cool. She's coming up with something big, and you need to keep Aza focused on you and not Weiss.

The flames slowly come together, slowly forming a larger and larger ball. Small spurts erupt from the flame, melting anything it touches. You slowly back off. Despite all your bravado, your cheer, and your jokes, there's nothing funny about this. That ball is dangerous. Even the ground around it is catching ablaze. You've never felt anything like it before… she's serious. She'll blow up this entire place, burning all three of you to ash.

"Aza, what're you doing? That'll kill us all!"

Aza maniacally laughs.

"It doesn't matter! You'll die!"

You unsheathe Crimson Blaze.

"That's not going to happen!"

You rush forward at Aza, and to no surprise she counters. She thrusts her hands forward, diverting some of the flames to attack you. You twirl your sword in front of you, dissipating the flames.

Weiss sees what you're doing as she finalizes her plans. But she sees something you don't. The giant flame, it's closing in on you ever so slowly, but you're too busy keeping yourself alive. Even with her dust, she can stop that ball.

"(Y/N)! Charge her!" Weiss shouts.

You don't know what she means until you feel the surge of her glyph below you. You smile.

 _I owe you one._

You take in a breath before sprinting at lightning speeds. While you approach Aza you let go of the hilt and grab the blade, letting loose your blood. It quickly overtakes the black steel. You return your hand to the hilt and run as fast as you can. While you run, the white glyphs below you slowly turn blood red. Weiss' eyes widen when she sees it. She isn't doing that.

You cut into Aza's stomach, then hop behind her. Weiss creates a flurry of glyphs around Aza for you to make use of. In a flash you jump from one to the other, slicing Aza up like nothing. Her aura drains fast at each cut, until you can see her start to bleed from your attacks. You bounce off the last one, landing a few feet in front of her. Weiss hastens your movements, and you come in for the last attack.

You rush past her nearly cutting halfway through her. You stop behind her, sheath your blade, and turn to face her. Aza slowly realizes what happened. Reality truly hits her when blood starts pooling out of her major wound, and mouth. She coughs up blood, then drops to her knees, holding the wound.

"He…hehehe. You Slater's… think you're so… amazing…"

 _The fire ball…_ You watch the ball of heat and light. _It's… not going away…_

The ball slowly breaks apart, but does not evaporate. It sinks into Aza bit by bit, giving her an unearthly glow. Weiss jogs to your side and stares at the defeated woman. You step forward, lifting your hand in front of Weiss.

"But you never… see the whole picture," she rants, laughing insanely.

"What are you talking about?" You question.

Aza turns her body to you. You're shocked at her current state. Her eyes, pupils specifically, are a flaming orange. Her body is lighting up like the sun. You can feel the humidity rise, the temperature fluctuate. Her hair is whipping around, clothes following, yet she's smiling like she's won.

And then you realize…

 _That ball could have killed us all._

 _It's in her now._

 _Adding to her power…_

"Weiss, run. Use your semblance and run as fast as you can."

"What?" She asks, moving to your view. "We won! Why would I need to-"

"Weiss!" You cut off. "This is not a discussion! RUN!"

Weiss is taken back by your demeanor. She wants to argue, but… when you're serious it's like you're a whole different person. A person who doesn't joke. She needs to run.

"Okay, but… nothing bad better happen!"

"It won't. Just let me deal with this."

Weiss nods. She activates her glyphs and speeds away in an instant.

"Liar," Aza scolds. "You know this is your end. You won't survive. You, Slater, will die by my hand. And if I must die," she crazily rants. "Then so be it. You… me… we'll all die eventually. BUT IF I CAN KILL JUST ONE SLATER MY LIFE HAS MEANING!"

The air picks up like a tornado is about to form. You're sweating, almost burning at the sheer heat Aza's giving off.

 _I need to think of something. I can't run fast enough… no. I could create a shield of blood, but… I'd run out before I could make something powerful enough… I need a way out. To be anywhere but here._

"No jokes? No idiotic quips?" She growls.

"Well, I just know the situation's heating up," you half heartedly chuckle.

Aza snarls.

"I hope you liked that joke."

 _Anywhere but here…_

"Because those words…"

 _Anywhere…_

"WILL BE YOUR LAST!"

Aza throws her hands into the air before activating her trump card. From her body, all the fire she can muster, all her power, everything about her explodes. You cover your face.

 _ANYWHERE BUT HERE!_

You close your eyes before the explosion reaches you. It covers everything, goes up, out, taking anything it can find. The dirt, plants, animals, everything is turned to nothingness in the wake of this explosion. The sound is deafening to the point where your ears would bleed and your mind would shatter.

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Dylan and the team head back to Beacon.

"Well, that came with mixed results," Yang states, still angry at herself for letting Torchwick and Neo escape.

"We got some information, and that's better tha-"

"Whoa, guys!" Ruby interrupts, running to the glass window of the airship. "Look at that, behind Beacon in the forest!"

Everyone turns their attention to the massive eruption of fire and death coming for miles away. Dylan's body tightens at the sight. He knows that fire. He knows that power – that feeling.

"What do you think caused it?" Yang ponders.

"Aza…" Dylan whispers. "You… why?"

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Weiss persists in running until she feels something behind her. She quickly comes to a halt and looks, only to be dazzled but what she's seeing. An explosion, huge, massive, larger than Beacon Academy. The shockwave comes, hitting Weiss dead on. She flies back but manages to use her semblance to keep herself stationary.

"N-No… (Y/N)… (Y/N)!" She howls, tears flowing.

But shouting is no use. Nothing. NOTHING could survive that. Not even the infamous (Y/N) Slater.

 **Welp, that was a pretty happy way to end a chapter and start Slater September. Yes you read right, this month will host a chapter of Crimson Shadow every week until the end of the month. Well, I'll try my best to do that. But look forward to a lot of content this month. You know, I hate writing these because I know what I want to say before, and then forget, write it, then remember later and kick myself. But, whatever. I suppose I don't have much to say this time around. I believe this is the longest chapter yet, and it was a lot of fun to write. Could I have split it into two chapters? Well… yeah, and it would have saved a lot of work, but naaah. I never do things the easy way when it comes to writing. Now real life, that's a different story.**

 **But I'm already working on the next chapter. Memorial, stuff like that. Someone did just die, so…**

 **FACT: Harrier Slater is one of the most feared and most powerful Huntsmen in Remnant. This stems from his two unique powers that set himself apart from his twin brother.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	18. Chapter 18: Fallen Slater, Burned to Ash

**Chapter 18: Fallen Slater, Burned to Ash, How Could You Escape the Blast?**

Weiss keeps herself locked down as the explosion persists. The pressure from such a release of power attempts to push everything back, ripping trees out of the ground and sending every animal flying through the air. Those things are luckier than anything close to ground zero. Anything in a few miles was reduced to nothingness. Weiss holds on to her glyph as everything else is pushed back. Among the flora and fauna, her tears are also caught in the wind. She can't believe it. She can't accept that you were caught in that. You had to have some sort of plan to escape. Some way that you avoided Aza's attack.

But that's just hopeful thinking. As much as Weiss wants to deny it, there's no way you could have escaped a blast of such magnitude. You're fast, but it even took Weiss, with her augmented speed, some time to get far away. That weighs on Weiss even more. You stalled Aza so she could escape. You sacrificed your life for hers when she was meant to protect you. She failed, completely and utterly. Even in the fight she was of little use and she knows it. Sure, she helped you a bit but she knows you could have won on your own. You even had to save her.

"Worthless… stupid…" Weiss scolds herself as she continues to cry.

Not long after her words the explosion reaches its peak and quickly falls in on itself. The shockwave is gone, thus Weiss deactivates her glyph. Once the major danger is gone, Weiss sprints back to the battlefield. She refrains from using her semblance at the moment since she's running low on power. She's used a lot in a short amount of time and needs to cool down.

As she runs she feels her scroll vibrate. Weiss quickly grabs it and answers, every fiber of her being hoping that it's you.

"Hello?" She frantically answers.

"Hey, um… so there was a huge… and I mean HUGE explosion a couple miles from the village," Weiss huffs when she realizes that instead of you, it's the Bullhead pilot. "I almost had to pull out, but it didn't hit this little village. So, time is running out and that explosion has got me on edge. Are you two coming back?"

"Yeah… I'm… on my way," she answers before turning off her scroll.

Weiss shakes her head before continuing to run. She needs to get there. She needs to find you… or whatever's left of you. Weiss returns her scroll to her pocket and returns to running. She's slower than she would be due to fatigue. Her once bright white coat that shimmered when her and her teammates donned their new outfits. Now, however, it's ripped, dirty, and not nearly as nice as it was at the beginning of the day.

Weiss can't believe what she's seeing. The destruction Aza caused is something Weiss has never seen before. Animals that are injured, trying to find their families or scurry from the blast. The forest absolutely torn apart to a degree that not even the Grimm could match. It's terrible, and it was all to make sure you died. All this destruction, all this death, just so she could kill you. It makes Weiss sick to her stomach. She just wants to get away from this devastation.

Weiss finally makes it close to the blast site, panting from all the running. Even Yang would be tired after all this running. Weiss holds herself up by her knees as she tries to catch her breath. She lazily looks around the area and quickly realizes her plan might be harder than she originally intended. The blast has ruined the area, so she won't be able to identify the exact location of your fight. Unless…

"An explosion of that magnitude… the origin point would be where the crater is deepest. That's… where I'll go."

With a plan in mind, Weiss walks through the destruction. Fire is still burning along the ground, but its quickly dying out all over the place. There's nothing really to see since everything is dust and ashes being carried through the wind, some passing by Weiss, some landing on her clothes, skin, and hair. Weiss doesn't care. Her looks don't matter right now, not when you're missing. Not when you might be…

Weiss bites her lip as she quivers. She can't stand the thought of it. She clenches her fist as she walks.

"You can't be dead… There's no way."

Weiss notices the ground start to descend. She's getting close to ground zero, whether that's good or bad is anyone's guess. It's hard to see, however, since darkness has truly come. It's late at night with only the flames guiding Weiss, but each quickly goes out to lead to another. She walks down to the middle of the crater. Her footing is uneven, and she's undeniably in the center. This is where Aza detonated herself. This to be close to where you were before Aza detonated herself.

Even though Weiss wanted to deny it, there's no sign of you. Nothing to prove you made it out.

"Stupid…" Weiss shakes her head. "I guess… I'm coming back alone. I wonder what Ruby will do when she hears this."

Weiss finally has time to think on this as she walks back to the village – to her ride home. No matter how much Weiss denies it, no matter how much she yelled at you… she did admire you. She did like you, even though she knew Ruby liked you too, and probably first. She didn't get to tell you. Ruby, even if she never admitted it to anyone else, never got to tell you either. She never even knew if you liked any of them, or… anything. There's nothing more. You're gone, you're dead, and your story is over.

Remembering Weiss brought you three here using her semblance, she decides to finally exhaust everything she has to return to the village. She's had some time to recover, and should have enough to keep her going. Weiss activates her haste glyph and starts running as fast as her legs will let her. She speeds through the ashes covering the ground, putting out some fires she runs over.

With some time she reaches the village with a little left in the tank. She slides to a halt once she reaches the village. She sees the Bullhead waiting… but… she needs to grab something. One last momento. Weiss strolls to your home and grabs the picture she once looked at. It's something to remember you and your family by. She keeps the picture in her hand as she leaves your house and embarks to the Bullhead.

"Oh, hey, you're… wait, weren't there two of you?" The pilot asks.

Weiss takes a seat, staring at the picture.

"(Y/N)… decided to stay," she quietly explains, a tear lining down her face.

"Oh… alright."

"Can you just drop me off at Beacon?" Weiss requests.

"Oh… well, I can, yeah. It's on the way. We'll be back in a few minutes."

Weiss solemnly nods to herself as she stares down at the picture. She has no idea how she's going to explain what just happened to everyone. Not just her teammates and friends, but to the teachers. You brought her on a trip that wasn't even authorized by the teachers, and now she's returning, beaten, alone.

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The Bullhead lands gently on the air pad of Beacon. Weiss walks to the exit and stops before she exits.

"Thank you for the ride," she quietly says before stepping out of the Bullhead.

With the picture stuck between Weiss' arm and her hip, Weiss saunters her way back to her room – body tired and spirits drained.

"Ms. Schnee!" Glynda shouts, walking towards her student. "The school is on lockdown due to the explosion. How is…" As Glynda gets closer she notices Weiss' condition and the fact she's no longer with you. "Ms. Schnee! Are you alright?" Glynda exclaims as she rushes to Weiss' side. "What happened to you? Where's (Y/N)?"

Weiss shakes her head, then looks down to the picture as she holds it for her professor to see. Glynda drifts her eyes to the picture and immediately is surprised by it. She hasn't seen that picture in years, which means you two really made it to your home. But why did only Weiss return.

Glynda then hears Weiss sobbing. She can't handle it anymore and starts to break down.

"Ms. Schnee? Weiss, what happened?" Glynda urgently asks.

"I… we… (Y/N), he…"

Glynda's eyes widen when a possibility comes to her mind. There's no way. You couldn't have. Glynda moves to Weiss side and places her hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go to Ozpin's office. We'll talk about whatever happened."

"My… my team…"

"We'll gather your team, Dylan, and JNPR. Just… let's go."

Weiss nods as Glynda brings her away.

From a distance Harrier watches what transpires and hears everything. He chuckles.

"Hm… Might as well contribute a bit," he whispers before making his way to the dorms, his cloak flowing.

He keeps himself calm as the idea of what Weiss was talking about echoes through his head. He isn't going to think about it now since he truly doesn't know what happened. Though it's fair to assume that you two were involved in whatever situation that caused the explosion. Harrier enters the dorms and first makes his way to your room. He knocks on the door through the cloak.

After a moment Dylan opens the door. His eyes widen at the man in front of him.

"Harrier… Slater…"

"Ozpin would like to see you in his office. Team RWBY and JNPR will be there as well. I suggest getting a move on," Harrier bluntly states.

With no more words Harrier turns away to reach the other dorms. Dylan, not willing to disobey the… legendary Huntsman, goes to change into his regular outfit.

Harrier turns down the hallway and approaches team JNPR and RWBY's dorms. He knocks on RWBY's door. After a moment and some complaining from the other side, Yang opens the door in her pajamas. She rubs her eye as she yawns.

"What do you want?" She complains.

"Wait, Yang! That's Harrier!" Ruby informs, looking at the door from her bed.

"(Y/N)'s uncle? What're you doing here?"

"Ozpin would like you to meet him at his office. Get there, now," he demands.

Yang nods.

"Alright, alright, we'll be there in a-"

"Now," Harrier repeats.

"R-Right. But Weiss isn't here," Yang comments.

"Weiss is already with him."

Harrier turns around and approaches JNPR dorm. He knocks on that as well, and Pyrrha is the one who answers.

"Oh, Harrier. How can I help you at this late hour?" Pyrrha respectfully answers.

"Ozpin would like your team to meet him in his office. Wake your team and go there now."

"Yes, sir."

Pyrrha closes the door and rallies her team for the occasion. With Harrier's "help" done with, he decides to visit the office himself. This does involve his family, so it would be terribly irresponsible for him to ignore your whereabouts. He swiftly leaves the building and heads for Ozpin's tower. He doesn't have much to think on at the moment, which is quite boring for him. Generally when wandering he has to think about any Huntsmen attempting to take his life, or if Ironwood's goons are gonna finally catch up to him. Well, on that note Harrier doesn't have to worry. Ironwood's right here at the school, positively thrilled that Harrier is here.

Not like Ironwood or his army could really kill Harrier, of course. They've tried over and over, but Harrier continues to show how useless an entire army really is. Quality, not quantity. Of course Ironwood's pointless pride won't allow the truth to finally hit him. Part of Harrier actually wanted Ironwood to fire on him when they were in Ozpin's office. Though Ozpin's far more of a threat than Ironwood is, so if he joined the fray then that battle would be far different. Still, picking a fight with Atlas military brings nothing to Harrier. The only fight he wanted to pick was with you, but that plan seems to have gone awry now.

At Harrier's slow pace, the rest of team RWBY, JNPR, and Dylan follow along behind Harrier. Of course nobody knows what's going on, and getting woken up in the middle of the night isn't something they fancy too much. It's more curious when everyone's supposed to be in their rooms. Dylan and RWBY were sent straight to their rooms once they got back in lieu of the explosion, which they could honestly say they had no part of.

But they're almost there, all of them. Whether they're ready is unknown.

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Weiss sits uncomfortably in Ozpin's office, lightly squirming in her seat while the two adults watch her. The lines of tears still show drooping down her cheeks with an additional tear or two falling. Ozpin quietly watches Weiss, hands intertwined while his elbows rest on his desk. Glynda stands a bit behind Weiss, arms crossed, leaning on her hip.

"Take all the time you need, Ms. Schnee," Ozpin consoles with a gentle voice.

Suddenly two elevators open and a group walks in. The students walk in first, evidently tired but awake enough to be attentive.

"You called us, Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha asks for the entire group.

"I… who told you that?" Ozpin inquires.

"I did," Harrier answers, stepping out of the elevator. "Weiss did ask for her friends to be here too, did she not, Glynda?" Harrier asks, a brow raised.

Glynda tenses up in the presence of Harrier. It makes her blood boil, but she won't allow the students to see it. Especially now with Weiss being so disturbed.

Soon enough team RWBY sees their missing team member.

"Weiss! You're…" Ruby stops talking as she gets closer. "Weiss… are you hurt? What happened?"

Ruby's words draws all attention to Weiss, but all Weiss can do is stare at the picture. She tightens her grip on it, then stands up, letting the picture fall on the chair, walks over to Ruby and hugs her.

"Gah, Weiss? Whaaaaat did I do?" Ruby asks, absolutely lost as to the meaning of Weiss' actions.

"I'm… so sorry, Ruby," Weiss sniffs, her emotions getting the better of her.

Everyone, save the adults and Dylan, crowd around Weiss.

"Weiss, what happened?" Blake questions, wanting an answer.

Weiss lets go of Ruby, takes a deep breath, then steps away so she can face everyone.

"I… (Y/N)… we went and…"

"Weiss," Dylan cuts in. "The explosion; you were there, weren't you? With Slater?"

Weiss slowly nods, tears forming.

"Was… was my sister there? Was Aza there?"

Weiss nods once more.

Dylan closes his eyes and huffs, a conclusion coming to him.

"I see…"

"What? What do you see?" Jaune asks, confused.

"(Y/N)… is dead," Weiss reveals.

Everyone remains silent, eyes wide from pure shock. That's not what they thought they were going to hear, and none of them believe they really heard it. Harrier turns his head away, hiding more of his face in his cloak.

"W-Weiss," Ruby starts, tears forming in her eyes too. "W-What do y-you mean? He can't be dead."

Weiss clenches her fists at those words. Those same words she told herself over and over, but there's no point in denying it. It happened, Weiss was there.

"He stalled that woman so I could run away, but he had no way of escaping. I… I…" Weiss breaks into tears once more.

Nobody has seen Weiss in this state before. She's always calm, confident, and the voice of reason. But now she's a bubbling, crying mess, and for good reason. She's not alone, as Ruby starts to cry as well.

"No… no! No! NO!" Ruby shrieks, falling to her knees.

Ozpin and Glynda both don a melancholy expression at the news, though they're feeling worse on the inside. Both had a reason to protect you, either out of duty or respect. You were their student, their friend, and even family. They both would lay down their lives to protect you, yet they just sat around as you were killed.

The entire room is filled with sorrow. Those who don't shed a tear simply contemplate on what happened. You were a friend to every single person in this room, and treated them the best you can. You even brought a laugh or smile on plenty of occasions. Yet now you're only bringing sadness. Even the ambience of the room doesn't help. Nothing but the sobbing of Weiss and Ruby can be heard, with a sniffle here and there from the others as tears become contagious in the room.

"Did you… see the body?" Glynda quietly asks.

"I-"

"There wouldn't be one," Dylan answers. "That move… I'm guessing everything in radius was turned to ash?"

Weiss nods. Gylnda's lip quivers at the news, but she doesn't cry.

"We will announce the loss of a student tomorrow," Ozpin says, finally speaking up. "None of you have to attend class tomorrow, but I will arrange a memorial for him. Weiss, may I use the picture you found?"

"Yes," she quickly answers.

"Very well. Please, students, try to get some sleep. Glynda and I will… discuss things. Dylan, if you could, please stay behind for a moment. I wish to speak with you."

Dylan nods.

"Yes, sir."

Everyone slowly makes their way to the elevator. Yang supports Ruby as all the hooded huntress-in-training can do is cry. They all enter the elevator and leave the four alone. Dylan, Harrier, Gylnda, and Ozpin remain quiet for some time.

"Dylan, the one who did this was your sister?" Ozpin asks.

"Yes. A move like that, one purely made of fire, fits her semblance. Besides, she has a born hatred for any Slater," Dylan eyes Harrier for a moment, who's still as a statue, then returns his eyes to Ozpin. "And if Weiss said her name was Aza, then there's no doubt about it. I just… can't believe she'd go to this extent. It's… disgusting," Dylan admits.

"You knew nothing of this?" Glynda continues.

Dylan shakes his head.

"I knew about the competition to fly anywhere, but (Y/N) didn't let me know whether he won or not. Last I saw them was… when he and Weiss went out," Dylan lies, not wanting to disclose the trouble he and RWBY went through that evening.

"Thank you, Mr. Brine. You may return to your dorm now."

Dylan bows his head then heads to the elevator. Once the door closes Glynda marches to Harrier.

"And what did YOU know of this?" Glynda shrieks, finally losing her cool.

"You think I would sick someone on Slater? Please, if I wanted to kill him I would do it myself."

"Glynda!" Ozpin cuts in. "Remain calm. I don't believe Harrier had anything to do with this. He was on campus when everything happened."

Glynda continues to stare intently at Harrier, but she does take a few steps back.

"I'm disappointed, in truth," Harrier speaks. "We're true escape artists. Nothing tends to catch a Slater. But I suppose that's just on Jet's side of the-"

Glynda throws Harrier across the room in an instant. Ozpin slams his hands on his desk as he stands.

"Glynda! Enough!"

Glynda's tears finally start falling from her face. She brings Harrier close to her.

"You… don't speak of Jet… or (Y/N)," she hisses before releasing him.

Harrier cracks his neck.

"Is it my fault that the-"

"Harrier, I would refrain from speaking on this subject," Ozpin advises. "Conflict will get us nowhere, and it's not right to fight hours after his… fall."

Harrier snickers.

"Let her release the hot air, Ozpin. It's not like she'll truly hurt me. But I suppose this will put a foul mood on your upcoming dance," Harrier says as he approaches the elevator. "Think it'll be anything like our dance, Glynda?"

With that, Harrier leaves the room.

"That arrogant ba-"

A hand lightly places itself on Glynda's shoulder. She looks over her shoulder to Ozpin, who finally looks distraught at the news.

"Glynda… I know how you feel. I'm sorry."

Glynda slowly but surely breaks down into tears. First Jet, and now you.

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Once RWBY and JNPR reach the dorms Ruby breaks off from her friends in a haze of rose petals. Nobody stops her, nobody calls for her. They all know, every one of them, that she needs time. Weiss had gotten better now, but not much. She's had her time to mourn, longer than everyone else has, besides, she's out of tears.

"Poor Ruby," Jaune sighs.

"It's hard for her, you know? She's never liked a guy before, and now that one guy is gone," Yang speaks.

It's near common knowledge between the teams that Ruby has a crush on you, even if they act like they don't know. She's not very good at hiding it, and word spreads between friends.

"Is anyone going to class tomorrow?" Blake ponders.

"I… think I will," Weiss answers. "I can't just sit around all day."

Everyone agrees, though they doubt they'd be able to focus on anything that the teacher tells them. Still, they'll do their best to hold everything in until the memorial. However, one person can't. Ruby's already in her room, curled up on her bed with her hood over her head and the cape covering her body. Tears stream down her face as she cries, holding the book you gave her. It's the only thing left of you.

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A man walks through the forest outside of Vale, carrying something in his hands. His steps are heavy yet his posture is perfect. His black coat waves in the wind, sometimes hitting the sheathed blade attached to his belt. There's a dim glow some distance away that's shrouded by the trees, but still attempting to break through. That place is his destination.

With no trouble from any Grimm he makes it to a clearing – to an encampment. A member of the White Fang approaches the man.

"Sir, is that-"

"Yes. Get a bed ready, she needs rest," he answers.

"Right away."

Adam looks down at the unconscious, nearly dead Aza Brine.

"You couldn't go through with killing yourself, could you? Was it to keep fighting for our revolution… or were you scared to die? Either way, you turned that disgusting Slater to ash, and that's something to be proud of."

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Beacon has never felt so defeated in a long time. The announcement Ozpin made at the beginning of the day shattered many student's spirits. Everyone was gathered in the main hall while Ozpin told them what had happened. In truth, you didn't know everyone at Beacon like you knew RWBY or JNPR, but you had talked to many people through your time here, even for only a brief moment of small talk. Still, you were well known in Beacon for being kind, an idiot, and for besting Pyrrha Nikos in combat. The thought of you being killed was unthinkable for a plethora of reasons that left spirits drained.

The only one who was smiling at the news was Cinder, who was proud that her plan worked out. Thanks to the tip she received from her… hooded companion, she was able to let Adam know where you and Weiss would be, effectively assuring you couldn't mess up her plans to any extent. If anyone could prove troublesome, it's you.

But now team RWBY and JNPR, along with other students, sit in Professor Port's class as he lectures about his adventures. But after dragging on and on, he notices how broken all of his students are. Everyone is laying their head on their desk, not paying attention at all. Any other day he would question them on this, but he knows where all their spirits went.

Ruby still has her hood on, preventing anyone from seeing her face. Port sighs, thinking of some way to lift their spirits.

"I know everyone is down after the news of one of our own perishing, but I believe I have a story that may bring some joy to you all! This story is not about me, so it may not be as exciting, but it's of a famous Huntsman who saved Beacon itself and nearly died himself." Some students becoming a little more interested, but most are still sulking. "This story, is about the legendary Huntsman Jet Slater!"

Everyone becomes interested at this point when hearing your last name.

"Slater?" A student repeats. "Does that me-"

"It's (Y/N)'s father," Weiss clarifies, her voice monotone.

"Ms. Schnee is correct. In fact, I knew his father quite well! Saved my life once, but the debacle that happened that day is not what this story is about. This takes place years after that, when Jet finally came back to life."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asks.

"Well young Ms. Nikos, I'll just say he almost sacrificed himself for everyone's wellbeing! A trait that (Y/N) seemed to adopt," he says under his breath. "But, there was a time I remember where Jet Slater singlehandedly wiped out an entire wave of Grimm all on his own. These were not small Grimm either, and if I remember correctly he said there were nearly one hundred of them."

"And how did he do it?" One students asks.

"Well, I shall tell you as he told me."

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 _Jet saunters into town, whistling a little tune of his own creation. Acting casual is really the only way for him to feel normal, since his outfit and weapon don't blend well with the crowd. Well, perhaps if he didn't have his golden bracer covering his entire right arm. That has saved him on occasion, not that he couldn't just heal whatever wound he suffered. But it helps not test whether or not he can regrow limbs, so that's its main purpose._

 _Jet's main purpose is to fulfill a mission he was given. Some village asking for aid with an incoming wave of Grimm. The details of how many and what kind were unknown, but considering the Grimm he's faced before nothing could surprise him. Nothing could compare to five years ago. Nothing could compare to that monstrosity that nearly ended his life._

 _But all that is in the past and has nothing to do with what's happening right now. It's just him and this large village. It holds nothing to Vale, but this is the largest village he's seen outside of Vale, besides the settlement at which is currently in ruins. There are dirt roads which makes sense; there's no need for cars where they are and it may attract unwanted attention. Still, there seems to be a lot of life in this place. The houses are large, there are more than enough stores, and there's even a wall surrounding the place._

 _They're sturdy and are actually quite intricate. If they wish to expand the city, the walls are able to be moved. Small lines latch into the ground that can be retracted by someone who knows how, while the actual walls are connected to those lines with a very powerful magnetic force. It's as sturdy as any other wall, perhaps more, and definitely more flexible._

" _Evidently this place seems well made. Even a few guard towers around," Jet notes as he walks the along the inner walls. "So why do they need a Huntsman?"_

" _Excuse me," someone calls. Jet looks over at the man who's dressed similar to that of a policeman. "Are you the Huntsman we requested?" He asks._

 _Jet clicks his tongue and flashes a smile._

" _That would be me," he smiles, presenting himself as he marches over to the man. "Jet Slater, pleased to meet you."_

" _Ah, yes, it's an honour. I've been tasked with bringing you to our village head. It's a shame the boys at the entrance didn't stop you. It made me have to run around town," the man explains, meekly chuckling._

 _He's a young man, probably new to his job. He seems no older than twenty, which, to be fair, Jet isn't much older than him. He's in his twenties too, albeit his late ones._

" _Not a problem, officer. My apologies for making you search for me. Shall we go?" Jet cheerily asks._

" _Oh, yes. Please, follow me."_

 _The young policeman leads Jet through the village. The roads are just meant to be walked, but similar to actual roads there is a line down the middle that people seem to organize themselves with. Each side walks their own way. Clearly this is preparing for the time the village could become larger and cars are used. It's very lively, no doubt about that. People have their children, they're talking on the patio of coffee shops of diners, and it really gives off a city feel. It brings Jet joy that such a place can exist and give hop to those living outside Vale._

 _The police officer leads Jet to a small building that looks political in nature. The two walk in enter the main door right in front of them. They travel through a corridor that branches off into a few different offices and bathrooms, but their aim is the door at the back. The policeman stops in front of the door and turns to face Jet._

" _He's in here, Master Huntsman. It was an honour to lead you here."_

" _Bah, don't be modest buddy. I'm nothing too special," he waves off. "I'll see you around, maybe," Jet says before entering the room._

 _There's an older man at a desk, donning a suit. He's balding and clearly trying to play it off like he still has hair. What's left of that hair is white, and his face has a decent amount of wrinkles all around._

" _Ah, you must be the Huntsman we were told about," he greets, standing up and extending his hand over the table. Jet approaches the table and shakes it. "Arthur Vert, head of this growing settlement. You are?"_

" _Jet Slater, Huntsman extraordinaire," Jet chuckles as he finishes the hand shake. Arthur returns to his seat but keeps eye contact with his guest. "So, Grimm problem? Any details? Know how many we're dealing with?"_

" _In fact, we do," Arthur nods, taking out his scroll and sliding it across the table. "We've built a radar that detects all movement outside the village so we can see who's coming and going. As you can see, there's a large group of Grimm hoarding north-west of the city."_

" _So how do you know they're going to attack?" Jet asks, staring at the data._

" _They've been getting closer and closer these past few days. We believe they may strike any day now. Sir Huntsman, we have people to keep the peace in our village, but nobody has faced a Grimm before."_

 _Jet waves his off as he leans back in the chair and slides the scroll back to its owner._

" _No need for anyone else to get involved. I can handle them myself. When they do come, you put this place under a curfew. Nobody leaves their homes. If you have any extra defenses then you get those up too, but no extra manpower is necessary."_

" _If you say so, sir. But… do you have any back up?"_

 _Jet chuckles as he points at the man, then slips out of the chair, heading to the door._

" _I'm your back up, Mr. Vert. Back up typically doesn't have back up. Just message me on my scroll when you know what day those Grimm will come. I've already added my contact information to your scroll."_

 _Jet exits the room with that, intending to relax until the action commences. He casually strolls through the hallways and exits the building, pushing the doors out of his way to embrace whatever this town has to offer. Jet throws the side of his jacket up as he starts walking. Coffee? Not for him. Diner? He's not hungry. Seems nothing's interesting him on this street, but there are some more to check out. Jet makes his way down the street, knowing that he's getting looks from most people who pass him. It's not common for regular civilians to gaze in awe at a Huntsman, and especially one as amazing as him._

 _Jet chuckles at this own confidence, but he still thinks it. Jet takes a right and immediately sees something that catches his interest: a bar. Well, it seems to be what's dubbed a "bar and grill" from what the sign says, but a bar is still included and that's good enough for him. Jet makes a b-line towards the building and slips through the door, past someone else who's walking in._

" _Thanks," he says once he passes them._

 _He turns his attention back to where he's walking. He quickly looks across the room to see what's going on. The place seems to be split into two. There's a restaurant half and a bar half. They even seem to be separate buildings but linked together. Jet instantly makes his way to the bar area. There are a few people sitting around, both men and women, but one person catches his attention._

 _It's a woman, beautiful, silky ginger hair and cute freckles spread across her small nose. She's stunning. It reminds him of the first time he saw… Jet shakes his head to rid himself of those thoughts. He didn't return for a reason. Jet slips into a bar stool and lets his arms rest on the counter. The bartender approaches him._

" _What can I-" he pauses, eying Jet. "A Huntsman, hm…"_

" _That obvious? I was going for the casual look today," Jet sarcastically answers._

" _Well, the armour on your arm ruins that look," he retorts. "So, what's your poison, besides Grimm blood?"_

" _Ha," Jet laughs, pointing at him. "That's clever. Well, I'll take…" Jet moves his hand and points at a bottle on the shelf. "That."_

 _The bartender nods and expertly swipes a glass cup and the bottle within seconds. He sets the glass down and pours the liquid to a specific amount._

" _Alright, give me a shout if you want more."_

" _Mhm."_

 _Jet grabs the drink, shakes the glass around to move the liquid around, then drinks a bit of it. He looks to both sides, seeing a few people talking with friends or just alone. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. Thanks to his training, he can perfectly hear everyone talking. Purposely he eavesdrops on that woman he noticed before. For reference, he glances back to see who is currently talking._

" _Wallowing in your sadness isn't going to get you anywhere," the ginger says, her voice soft and soothing._

" _B-But I really loved him. I-I just," the other girl sobs._

" _No, no excuses. You have to get back out there, talk to someone, and get your confidence back!"_

" _It's not that easy, Clementine!"_

" _Yes it is! Watch."_

 _Clementine looks around the room, searching for an example to help her friend. She notices the flowing white jacket and bright metal bracer. She flicks her brow up, interested in what this person could be doing here. Clementine takes a seat beside Jet._

" _Buy a girl a drink?" She boldly asks._

" _Well, it wouldn't help your friend if I shot you down, hm?" Jet smugly says._

" _Well, since you were eying me the moment you walked in I guessed you were the best bet," Clementine casually says, smiling with confidence._

" _How perceptive of you. But I eyed everyone, so what makes you so special?"_

" _I don't know," she says, preparing to walk away. "Why did you eavesdrop on my conversation in particular?"_

 _With that, she leaves her seat and returns to her friend._

" _What happened?" She asks._

" _I enticed him. It's that easy," Clementine smiles._

 _Jet shakes his head at those words. He finishes his drink, tosses some lien on the counter, and leaves the bar. Clementine watches as Jet leaves the building. Jet exits the building and stands outside of the store, putting his hands on his hips._

" _Well, looks like I can't stay there with Ms. Confident or whatever. I suppose learning the ins and outs of the place is best."_

 _So Jet spent the next few hours learning about the town, talking to some of the police officers and even civilians to get the lay of the land. There are some interesting people here, definitely more than an average village. There are legitimate engineers and people beyond farmers and construction. It's a nice place, truly. Through the people and the scouting Jet managed to make the time fly._

 _Still, there was no information from Arthur, so the Grimm likely weren't attacking tonight. But as the broken moon took prominence in the sky and the residents slowly made their way to their homes, Jet stayed out to walk the town. He always found comfort in the cold night's breeze, his jacket flowing gently in the breeze, along with his messy, slicked back hair. He comes to a halt once he exits the main gate. He lifts his right hand and grazes his fingers over his left eye, two fingers on each of the two marks._

 _He huffs, thinking to when he got the scar. It's the one time his body never fully healed something. Suddenly something catches his attention. A woman walks out from the forest into the clearing leading to the village. To his surprise, it's the same woman from the bar._

" _What's a lady like you doing in the forest at night?" He says loudly, getting her attention._

 _She's admittedly surprised that anyone else is awake._

" _Well, when you live in a small village you get used to it," she responds, playing it off._

 _Clementine reaches Jet's location and stands beside him, staring out at the moon._

" _So you don't live here, huh?"_

 _Clementine shakes her head._

" _Nope. I come from a smaller village closer to Vale. I'm here to visit a friend; I'm sure you know the one," she coyly remarks._

" _Well, perhaps its fate that has brought you here," Jet chuckles, spinning and sliding in front of Clementine as he gently grasps her hand. "The name is Jet Slater, Huntsman-in-Tr- wait, crap, Huntsman extraordinaire!" He quickly corrects, but Clementine giggles as his mistake._

" _So you're an extraordinaire in training?" She jokes._

" _Geh… no," Jet responds, letting his face fall flat before returning to his happy-go-lucky look. "I just messed up. It happens."_

" _Oh really? I was lead to believe that Huntsman were some of the most respected, most refined individuals in Remnant."_

 _Jet bursts out laughing._

" _I'll introduce you to my brother, then. He'll fit that criteria and then some."_

" _Brother, hm? I'm guessing you're the younger one?"_

" _By a year, yeah. How'd you know?"_

" _Maturity," Clementine insults with a smile._

" _Well, Madame, I'd like to let you know that I'm a very respected Huntsman!"_

 _Clementine nods._

" _Oh, no, I believe you. You seem very professional when you're not speaking."_

 _Jet's face drops again._

" _You… remind me of someone," he admits, an image of Glynda smiling appearing in his mind._

" _Oh? And who's that?"_

 _Jet's persona changes to a melancholy one._

" _Someone I left I long time ago."_

" _Oh?" Clementine becomes more interested. "Why did you leave them?"_

" _I died," Jet responds. Clementine blinks twice, not understanding what he's talking about. Jet turns to her and smiles. "Well, kind of. It's a long story."_

 _Clementine nods._

" _Oh, I see. Huntsman stuff, right?"_

" _Yeah, hehe… Huntsman stuff."_

" _So, do you like the village?" Clementine asks._

" _Hm? Well, I don't know. I'm not one for villages. I'd never live in one."_

 _Clementine shrugs._

" _It's not so bad. I'm sure someone of your talents would be loved in a small village."_

 _Jet chuckles._

" _No way. I've spent too long in one place. I have to explore, have to keep moving. But you never know what could happen, you know? Lots of things have happened that I, in my infinite wisdom," Jet plays, placing a hand on his chest. "Could not have predicted."_

" _That is life, you know."_

" _Yeah… I guess it is," Jet smiles._

 _Suddenly his scroll lights up. He checks it and sees a message from Arthur. Jet chuckles, knowing the Grimm are on their way._

" _You better get inside. Grimm are on their way," Jet informs._

 _Clementine flashes a smile._

" _I can take care of myself. But, uh… how about you try not to die, huh? I'd love to hear some stories of a Huntsman."_

 _Jet nods._

" _Don't worry. I doubt I'll die today, and especially not with such a beautiful woman wanting me to live."_

 _Clementine rolls her eyes but still smiles._

" _Well, you better not disappoint."_

 _Clementine leaves Jet to prepare. He unsheathes Crimson Blaze and drags the tip along the ground. He finds the right spot then shoves the blade into the ground. He kneels down and grabs the sword with his right arm, cutting into his hand. The blood seeps out onto the sword._

" _Come on then," he smiles as he hears the Grimm approaching._

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"So then Jet-"

The bell rings, signaling for next class.

"Oh, my bad… I suppose telling you about how me and Jet defeated three Goliaths beforehand took too much time… well, I hope you all stay vigilant!"

Everyone saunters out of the room, but Ruby is the first to speed away. All her friends frown at the normally happy Huntress' current state. Even the students who aren't close friends with Ruby know that she's taking this the hardest.

In fact, Ruby and Glynda are the ones taking this the worst. Every student that's been in Glynda's class has noticed her distancy. She's quieter, she's less focused, and at some points she completely falls out of reality. Everyone knows why, but not everyone knows how close and how much Glynda cared for you.

But this is the end of the day and there's nothing left for anyone to do. RWBY and JNPR returns to their rooms. Ruby instantly jumps onto her bed and hides herself in her hood. RWBY shares a look at Ruby's condition.

"Ruby, you're coming to his memorial, right?" Yang softly asks.

"Mhm," is Ruby's only response.

Blake sets her books down and heads for the door.

"I'm going to see how Dylan's doing. I'll meet you all when the time comes."

Weiss and Yang nod to acknowledge Blake's words. Yang and Weiss sit on beds, Yang on Blake's and Weiss on her own. They both stare at the floor, no idea what to say or what to do until the memorial comes.

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Blake knocks on Dylan's door and waits for a response. More time than normal passes before Dylan opens the door.

"Hey."

"Hey," Dylan responds. He steps back. "Come in."

Blake walks in and closes the door behind her. Dylan walks straight back to his bed and lies down on it, staring up at the ceiling. Blake turns around and sees Dylan lying down. She sighs and makes her way over to him. She sits on the edge of his bed and stares at him.

"Are you okay?"

Dylan shakes his head.

"I wanted Slater to die for a very long time. Now… after meeting him… after rooming with him and seeing the effect he had on people… I just don't think he was as bad as I thought. I'm almost disappointed at the quiet, I'm missing his idiotic quips. I just… maybe because I just lost my sister and a…"

"Friend?" Blake finishes.

Dylan regretfully smiles, shaking his head.

"Heh… considering Slater as a friend. I never thought that would happen."

Blake smirks, but it dissipates quickly.

"Ruby's taking this hard. Weiss and Yang don't want to admit it, but they're near a breaking point too."

"And you?"

"Me?" Blake repeats.

Dylan nods. Blake huffs.

"I've lost friends before, so I suppose I'm used to it. Still… the sight of everyone crumbling definitely doesn't help at all. I know that (Y/N) is gone, but I need to focus on the White Fang."

Dylan looks to Blake with concern. Her friend is dead and she still wants to focus on the White Fang? That's… not normal.

"Blake?"

"Mm?"

"Wake me up when the memorial starts. I just… I have to mourn two people today."

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In the embrace of night is the time to remember one who has died to save those they care for. Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood stand at the back of the room on a platform. There's a wall behind them with small sticky notes with small writings from students. Other than that, a picture of you, Jet, and Clementine, and a separate picture of you and team RWBY hang in the middle. Seats are lined up for people to sit in, and the first three rows are filled with people. RWBY, JNPR, Dylan, Sun, and Neptune sit in the first row. Harrier is standing beside that row, calmly watching as everything unfolds.

They've been here for some time now, sitting silently as Ozpin and Glynda speak.

"If anyone has anything they'd like to say, you can come up and speak," Ozpin offers, stepping away from the mic.

Yang looks to Ruby, who's hood is still on as she stares at the floor. Yang slides her hand over her little sister's to comfort her. Suddenly the door opens. Everyone looks back to see who's here. The student freezes at all the attention.

"I-Is this (Y/N)'s mem-memorial?"

"Yes. Please, take a seat," Ozpin says, gesturing to the seats.

Everyone's almost disappointed at who arrived. It sounds like something you might do – almost die then come at the last second to show off. But no. That's not a possibility. You're dead, gone, never to return.

But Harrier doesn't like it. Something's off once that student walked in. It was like two people entered the room, but only one walked in. Harrier looks around the room to check. He's feeling something odd… a confidence that was lacking up until now. The aura has changed, but for what reason? Nothing's different from what Harrier can see, and his eyes are very good. But since there's no change, Harrier returns his gaze to the stage.

Weiss suddenly stands up and makes her way to the stage.

"Ms. Schnee?" Ozpin questions.

"I'll say something. I was there when he died. I… was the reason," Weiss quietly says.

Ozpin nods and steps back in between Glynda and Ironwood. Weiss takes the stage, standing in front of the mic. For some reason her mind drifts back to the competition. She looks to the front row and sees you, smiling to cheer her on.

Weiss shakes her head before she starts crying once again, but she stills sees you standing at the door with tattered clothes and dust littering your hair and skin. She shakes her head again, concerning those around her. She looks forward but you're still standing there, looking at your hands and feet.

"I… am I dead? I don't think I'm dead. But why would… what is this?" You ask aloud, shaking your hands and feet. All attention turns to the back of the room, near the door, to you. Ruby perks up at the sound of your voice. "Perhaps I'm a ghost? Or have I not reformed? Hm…"

She looks back to the door recognizes it's you, then bolts to you, sending rose petals all over the place. She hugs you, but at the speed she's going she slams you into the closed door, leaving a crack.

"(Y/N)!" She shrieks with joy.

"Ow!" You whine. "Hey, Little Red. What's with the hug… and… the tears?" You mention as you move her hair out of her face.

But she can't stop crying out of pure joy and bliss. You're alive, in front of her, in her arms. She snuggles her head into your chest, never wanting to let go.

"Little Red… Ruby!" You shout, trying to get her to listen.

Harrier smirks at your presence. He knew a Slater couldn't die that easily. They're escape artists, after all. Ozpin, Glynda, and Ironwood step off the stage to approach you, but they aren't as fast as a marching Weiss Schnee. She approaches you, then slams her fist right on your head.

"OW! Weiss, what is that?" You shout, rubbing your head.

"YOU IDIOTIC, MORONIC, SELFISH DUNCE!" She shouts, tears coming from her as well. "HOW COULD YOU JUST SEND ME AWAY? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? I THOUGHT YOU DIED!" She howls, coming down on you with fury and vengeance.

"We all thought you died, (Y/N)," Ruby adds, calming down a bit.

You feel the weight in their words. Both these girls really care about you and the thought of you dead has shaken them up. You look over at everyone else who is watching this all unfold. You can see the same expression in every face. Happy you're alive, but drained from the news of your death. You've effected everyone in this room, and perhaps more.

You move Ruby off of you so you can stand up, and Ruby stands happily beside you. The rest of RWBY, JNPR, and even other students and teachers crowd around to hear your answer. Next is Glynda to approach you. She stares you down, giving you goosebumps. But after a moment she smiles, then wraps her arms around you.

"I'm glad you're okay," she whispers to you.

Harrier smirks at this.

"Can't stand the thought of losing another Jet?" He says to himself.

Glynda raises her hands to your shoulders and makes eye contact. She gives you one last smile before stepping away, returning to her professional persona.

"I believe you owe everyone an explanation," Ironwood begins.

Ozpin nods.

"James is right. I'm pleased to see you in one piece, but how is it you escaped? Weiss said you were at the blast's center. How did you manage to evade such a devastating force?"

"And what took you so long to get back?" Weiss adds.

You smile, rubbing the back of your head.

"Well, it wasn't like I could fly back! I had to improvise, and it took longer to master it than I thought," you explain with your eyes closed, proudly smiling.

"'Master it,'" Ozpin repeats. "Please, no more secrets.

"Well…"

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" _ **Honestly, I thought I was done for. I sent Weiss off and Aza, the woman who attacked us, was about to blow herself to smithereens, and me along with her."**_

 _You throw your hands in front of you as the explosion begins. You can feel it tearing at your body, quickly evaporating all the aura you have. Your clothes become charred and your nerves spark with pain. You're even lifted off your feet from the sheer force. You managed to open your eyes one last time, but… you weren't there anymore._

 _Instead you slam into a wall behind you and land face first on the ground. Your body is still riddled with pain from the seconds of being near the explosion. Any longer and you would have been a goner, but somehow you're not there anymore. You slowly roll over so you can see where you are and what your next plan will be. When you roll onto your back you scan the room but don't bother to move your head. It's… familiar._

" _ **Turns out I somehow got from our battle to my house – my room. I didn't know how, but I was far too exhausted and sore from nearly blowing up to care. I could feel the explosion from miles away, the shockwave, the pressure. I knew I made it out of there somehow and didn't magically survive. But I was too tired to do anything, and ended up passing out. Later I woke up, rested and healed from my aura.**_

 _You get to your feet and stretch your arms and legs. Being fully recovered, more or less, you leave your house with the hope that the Bullhead and Weiss are still around. But since the sun was now up, you knew that was an unlikely turn of events. And you were right! You're alone here with only Crimson Blaze and a mystery._

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"I had no idea how I survived. I was there… and then I wasn't. So I spent time trying to figure it out," you explain with everyone attentively listening. "And… well, I did!"

"What, pray-tell, did you figure out," Ironwood asks.

You flash a smirk, and then, in an instant, you're no longer where you were. All that's left is a dissipating shadow, reaching out into nothingness before disappearing. Harrier instantly looks to where you are now, which is on the stage. You have a grand smile on your face, proud of your new ability.

"Seems I can move anywhere in an instant," you shout, gathering everyone's attention. "Pretty neat trick, if I do say so myself."

"So… you can teleport now?" Yang asks.

You nod.

"Mhm. Though it took me a while to get the hang of it," you say before teleporting right in front of the crowd, leaving the shadowy aura in place of where you once were. "And I didn't realize how difficult it was to teleport such a long distance. I-"

"(Y/N)," Ozpin cuts in. "We'll talk more about your newly discovered Semblance later. I believe your friends would rather spend some time with you. You can explain more of it tomorrow, in class."

"Come on! I nearly blew up and I still have to go to class!" You complain, throwing your hands in the air.

Ozpin humbly chuckles.

"A Huntsman's life isn't fair, hm?"

You pout, but you're still happy to be back with all your friends. Your eyes lock onto Harrier next as he nods. You'll talk to him later, no doubt. But there is one person you want to talk to now.

"Hey, how about we all meet in RWBY's room? I got something to do real quick before Weiss hits me some more," you smirk, eying Weiss who's loading up another shot.

"Right! Come on team!" Ruby happily cheers, leading everyone to her room.

The change in Ruby within a minute is drastic and welcomed to all her friends. You, on the other hand, have no idea how hard Ruby took the news.

Dylan attempts to go with them, but you slip in behind him and grab his shoulder.

"We need to talk," you say before teleporting the two of you to your room, leaving two dissipating shadows behind.

Dylan shivers once he realizes where he is.

"That… feels weird," he conveys.

"Yeah, it kinda does," you chuckle. "But, Dylan… about Aza-"

"No need, Slater. She… was obsessed, and you didn't kill her. Her obsession drove her to a martyr – a failed one."

"She's still family. It has to hurt, even if they're on the other side," you counter.

"You are right, Slater, but I'd rather not talk about it. Now if we could rejoin-"

"You were holding back against me, weren't you?" You bluntly ask.

Dylan stops in his tracks, almost freezing. He stands straight then turns to face you.

"If you can control water even half as well as Aza handled her fire, then you weren't going all out."

By the determined look in your eye, Dylan knows you're not going to let him go without an answer. Dylan diverts his eyes from you, weighing his options and what he should say.

"I… did. Honestly… I can control my water better than she could with her fire."

"Why then?"

"I didn't want to hurt anyone in Vale. Besides, there's no need to go all out. It tires me too much."

"You know," you pout, folding your arms and leaning forward. "I feel like I've been cheated."

"No, you cheated death. You're the cheater here. Drop it, there's no importance to my semblance. Come, I know everyone wants to talk to you - especially Ruby."

You raise your brow, lifting your body straight but keeping your hands crossed.

"Little Red? What's she got to do with anything?"

Dylan shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What an idiot," he whispers. "Let's… let's just go."

You shrug and teleport, leaving Dylan alone. He sighs.

"This is going to get annoying."

 **Yeah, I'm a total liar, but I had to. A sad thing about writing a reader-based story is that I can't really add tension with possible death. I mean, I totally could kill you, or anyone off if I wanted, but I wouldn't without good reason. But, I mean what would I have done? Revive him with the power of love and friendship? Some crazy spirits thing? Some instant crossover where he's actually an immortal vampire or something? No. RWBY doesn't have those things. Once you die, you die. Take Pyrrha as an example, though if they bring her back somehow I swear I'll be so mad (no, I don't hate Pyrrha, but I don't like people being brought back to life just because).**

 **Some people did guess that their semblance would unlock, and they were right! Those who specifically guessed teleportation gets a pat on the back from me! Good job! I've been saving this for a while and goddamn am I happy it's known. You know how many times I wrote Slater teleporting in "Birthday Surprise" only to remember that it can't be shown yet. So now you can teleport, and yes it will get an actual name. It's a simple semblance that isn't some weird transformation or something. Those always bug the crap out of me, buuuuut that's just me.**

 **Anyway, Slater September is still on the go. I believe it will end with the dance (which is two weeks away, or two chapters away). That's a pretty special night, huh? I wonder what might happen then.**

 **In other RWBY news there will be no Crimson Shadow update in October. Why? Well, I have to write a Project's Past chapter, and then there's the Halloween special. But, to be fair, it's in the Crimson Shadow-verse so you're still getting Slater and co.**

 **Also I might be starting a mini-series soon. Yes, I know I said Illusion will be my next RWBY story but… I meant full length story. This is going to be a smaller one, and something that has been requested for a while. Yes, Chinsangan is going to be writing a harem fic. Though not how you guys would expect. I had an idea for this a while ago called "The Dorm" which basically just had you living in a house with nearly every girl in RWBY. My problem with that was all the women just wanted to sleep with you because… well, there wasn't a reason. Personally I hate stories like that. I don't tend to see RWBY characters as promiscuous like in some stories (Heated Excitement comes to mind, though no hate on that story). This new idea has an actual plot, along with you getting to bang nearly every girl in RWBY. So… yay for you! That'll be out at some point, though I'm not sure when.**

 **FACT: I made several drafts of Slater's semblance, including adopting his father's semblance, invisibility, and just straight up not having one. But I thought teleportation would fit with his sporadic, and almost trolling nature. He could lead someone to believe they've hit him, then be somewhere else entirely, still taunting them. It fit him, AND it's an easy way to get him from place to place.**

 **MINI FACT: I almost forgot to put a fact in this chapter. Golden reminded me right before posting.**

 **But that's about it. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for updates on chapter progress and such. There's also some awesome fan-art submitted there, so if you want to see it or have art of your own then that's the place to go. Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	19. Chapter 19: Dance Dance Preparation

**Chapter** **19: Dance Dance** **Preparation**

"Pst."

Weiss turns around, but nobody's there. She scratches her head with her pencil, then goes back to work. With her and Yang being chosen to finish what team CFVY started. She is somewhat distracted by a development that happened earlier between Blake and Sun. In fact, the whole team is worried about Blake at this point. You can tell just by looking at her that she-

"Hey Weiss."

Weiss turns around again to find nobody. She frowns and squints her eyes. The voice is telling as to who it is, and it's not helping Weiss. But, she carries on with her planning and thinking. Blake needs to relax, and there's only one way to do that. The rest of RWBY is going to make her go to the dance, no matter what. That's part of why it's hard to plan this dance. She has to make sure that-

"How're you?"

"Will you stop?" Weiss shouts, getting out of her chair and turning around.

Everyone around her stares at her like she's insane. Nobody else is there. Nobody has even talked to Weiss during her time in the library. Weiss notices all the glances and internally growls. She sits back down, tapping her heel incessantly.

From some distance away you're killing yourself laughing at Weiss' expense. You teleport back to your original location.

"What're you laughing about?" Glynda asks, her arms crossed.

You shake your head as you laugh, waving your arms in front of you.

"N-Nothing. I was j-just cycling between four locations like you said," you answer. "Actually… I need to do it one more time, hang on!"

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Yang stands outside the bathrooms, her hair flaring up and her eyes a deep red. She's breathing heavy as she stands still, ready to punch anything around her. You arrive behind her in a small mist of shadow. You lean behind her and quickly whisper.

"Banana."

The moment the last syllable leaves your lips you teleport right out of there. Yang howls, turning around and punching the wall, activating her weapon at the same time.

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Glynda awaits your return. Suddenly you're back and a quick explosion erupts in the distance. You're killing yourself laughing, unable to even speak at that point. Glynda grinds her teeth. She slaps your arm with her riding crop.

"Ha- OW!" You complain, rubbing your arm. "What was that for?"

"What were you doing? I told you to practice your range and fluency, and you're torturing other students."

You cross your arms and look away.

"I am not," you retort.

"I'M GONNA FIND YOU (Y/N)! AND WHEN I DO! GAAAAH!" Yang announces to all of Beacon, her tone making the toughest students quiver in their boots.

Glynda leans on her hip and stares disappointedly at you. You keep looking away, innocently blinking to try and deflect any responsibility. Eventually you start to laugh from the heat of Glynda's constant stare.

"Okay, okay, but how can this not be funny?" You laugh.

"Can you please take this seriously? I'm trying to help you with this"

"You have helped me!" You nod. "All the training I did on my own and with you has helped a ton! But there's still one major problem still lingering."

"And that is?" Glynda asks, putting her hands behind her back and standing as straight as she can.

"I don't know what to call it," you whisper.

Glynda sighs at your predicament. It can't be serious like aura control and usage of this newfound power. No, it has to be what this will be called. She lets her head rest in her hand to try and deal with your… priorities.

"Can you not just call it 'teleportation?'?" Glynda asks, waving her hand away from her face then returning to the same position.

"No, no, no, no," you wave her off. "That's boring – dull. I need something more. Teleportation… Translocation…" You lift your hand to your chin as you pace back and forth in front of Glynda. "But I turn into a shadow when I'm going… so… Shadow Translocation? No, that's lame. Shadow… Shadow… Translocation… Transmission… ha!" You shout. "Shadow Transmission!"

"Why do I deal with you?" Glynda asks herself, shaking her head.

"But maybe that's the overall name. I mean, it feels different depending on what I do!"

This part piques Glynda's interest. In truth, your semblance is a unique one that's interesting to the Huntress, but your inability to take the training serious is what's holding back any hope of her learning more about your telepo- no, Shadow Transmission.

"And what do you mean by that?"

You turn your back to Glynda, then turn your head to see her and point at your shoulder.

"Put your hand on my shoulder. I'll show you."

Glynda lightly grabs your shoulder.

"Alright, give me a minute. Let's go to… hm… Atlas?"

"You can make it to Atlas?" Glynda exclaims in surprise.

You nervously chuckle.

"Well, I haven't tested it. But that might drain me too much. Hm… how about…"

You close your eyes and allow yourself to find where you're thinking. This is something you haven't been able to explain to Ms. Goodwitch or anyone else: how you actually teleport. In short range it's basically sight. You can see where you want and go there with ease. But when going somewhere out of the immediate area, or somewhere out of eye sight, it's different. It's almost like time slows down and you see farther than your eyes could ever allow. The closest thing you can describe is as if you dissociate yourself from your body and scour through Remnant as you find where you want to go. Then once you arrive there, you "lock on" and can leap there with your ability.

So you find a place you've been before and bring you both there. In an instant you and Glynda appear at ground zero of Aza's kamikaze attempt. You huff once the transition is complete, but Glynda feels uneasy.

"That… was different," Glynda speaks.

"Yeah, right? Now remember that feeling."

Once again you teleport, but this time only a few feet away. Glynda lets go of your shoulder once the final move is complete. You turn to face Glynda, a question ready.

"You feel how those two are different feelings, right?"

Glynda nods. She's unsure how to describe what just feeling sent chills down her spine twice, but they were two distinct feelings.

"So, they should be named differently!"

Glynda sighs.

"Still on the naming topic?"

"I'm almost done," you assure. "Now, they both feel different as you've agreed. So why not give them both different names? Now, I got this Glynda!" You nod, way too enthusiastic about this than you should be. "Soooooo, I say that a short range teleport is sort of a _**step**_ while a long range is definitely a _**leap**_!"

"So, just to clarify," Glynda starts, appeasing your childish outburst. "This was pointless?"

You pout at Glynda, which does make her snicker. She takes in a deep breath as she looks around the area. She finally recognizes the dust, crater, and overall destruction.

"(Y/N)… is this… is this where you fought Aza?"

"Oh, heh, yeah," you rub the back of your head. "I couldn't think of anywhere else that wasn't too far away. But I don't really wanna stay here, you know? Not fond of a place I nearly died at. Aaaand we should get back to Beacon. Glynda!" You jump and spin around, then point at your shoulder. "Load up!"

Glynda stares at you with utter disappointment. You huff.

"Please just let me have this."

Glynda rolls her eyes as she places her hand on your shoulder.

"Does it have to be the shoulder?" She inquires.

You shake your head.

"I don't think so. It can really be anyone touching me, which I should probably work on. But I just assumed you didn't want to hold my hand or something," you honestly answer.

Glynda nods in acknowledgement. With no distractions, you take a few second to lock on to Beacon, then _**leap**_ back to your original location, which was just a separate courtyard on the grounds.

Glynda removes her hand from your shoulder and fixes her clothes.

"The feeling doesn't go away," she says to herself. "Well, we shall continue practicing your semb-" You give her a hopeful stare. She sighs in defeat. "We'll continue practicing your Shadow Transmission." You smile happily. "At a later date. I bid you farewell, (Y/N)."

"Actually, Ms. Goodwitch, I have a favour to ask you," you pipe up.

Glynda returns her eyes to you.

"Oh? What is it that you need?" She courteously asks.

You rub the back of your head, trying to figure out how to phrase it.

"Well… um… can I drop by your room, later?" Glynda's eyes widen and she adopts a crimson tint.

"Wh-What for?" She blurts out.

You don't notice her state since you're staring at her black heels.

"Well… I need your help with something and I don't really want to do it in front of everyone."

"(Y/N), what is it you want?" Glynda demands, wishing to clear the air from any improper assumptions.

You squirm a bit.

"Well… I, heh… I need help… with dancing."

"Dancing?"

You nod.

"I can't really dance, but I wanna knock it out of the park this weekend! I thought you would be the best person to ask. Well, maybe Ozpin, but I find it would be easiest with a female dancing partner. So… can I?"

Glynda sighs, but she still smiles. She nods her head.

"Sure. Come by my quarters around nine o'clock. Do NOT 'leap' or 'step' or whatever into my room. Simply walk up to my door and knock."

You chuckle, but nod.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch!"

"My pleasure. Now go on. I'm sure your friends would enjoy your company."

"Sure. Thanks for the training. We'll definitely continue," you shout before _**leaping**_ away, leaving only a lingering shadow to remember you by.

Glynda shakes her head as she rests her arms on her hips.

"That boy will be the death of me some day. Though dancing with him… it might bring back those times."

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 _Glynda brushes down her dress, making sure everything is perfect. Her shimmering black dress is laced with Dust to make it sparkle. The use of Dust in clothing is not unique, but Glynda's spent some time making the dress for this night, and she is extremely pleased with the result. It curves around her neck and drops down which results in a large portion of her back being shown, and also a bit of cleavage to indulge her boyfriend. It beautifully flows down to her black heels that complement the black dress._

 _Her hair is curled down her back with her bangs done by her teammate. She takes in a deep breath and exhales to rid herself of the butterflies. She's so scared for tonight. She's so excited for tonight. She gets to attend a dance with a man she's cared about for months now. One who's made her laugh, made her worry, made her damn near insane, but has always been there for her no matter what._

 _Glynda gives herself one last check, making sure everything is perfect for tonight. She made sure to kick all her other teammates out so it'll just be her and Jet when he arrives to take her there. The moment she thinks it, a solemn knock catches her attention. She brushes herself off once again, takes a deep breath and approaches the door. Her slender fingers wrap around the cool door handle. Everything seems to be taking forever for her, but that's likely because she's so excited and nervous. She doesn't even know why she's acting like a schoolgirl about to hold hands with her first crush._

 _Glynda shakes off the butterflies then opens the door. Jet's swinging his hips as he waits. This time around Jet's wearing a baby blue suit that… who knows where he got it. Though it suits him, somehow._

" _Oh!" Jet stops, standing straight and tall. "Hey, uh… I got you this," he says before holding out a collection of flowers. "Sorry it took so long. I saw them and thought, meh, why not grab'em for you. Probably need more time to prepare anyway. I hear girls need that, not that I'd know. Well, I mean I wouldn't know other than you," he rambles._

 _Glynda smiles at him. Even the confident Jet Slater is somewhat nervous at this, which puts Glynda's mind at ease. She takes the flowers from Jet's hand and smells them. He has a surprising taste in flowers; that, or he got really lucky in choosing a clever blend of aromas._

" _They're beautiful, Jet. I'll set them up when we get back," she smiles, setting them inside a nearby water bottle that was conveniently there._

" _Right, though I doubt we'll be back for a while. Harrier said it might drag on till one or two in the morning," Jet chuckles, rubbing his neck._

 _Generally Jet rubs the back of his head, but he doesn't want to mess up his hair tonight, not that it's vastly different from the messiness is usually is, but tonight a few less strands of hair are trying to flee the wave._

" _A night to enjoy ourselves, then. Come, let's not keep everyone waiting," Glynda comments, to which Jet nods._

 _Glynda exits her dorm, ensuring the door is closed. Once she's out of the room. Jet slips beside her, offering his arm._

" _M'lady," he bows his head._

 _Glynda rolls her eyes but does not argue being treated as a princess tonight. She wraps her arm around his and rests her head on his shoulder. The two leave the dormitories and make their way to the ballroom where the dance is taking place._

 _All around are couples, be them in a relationship or simply a friendship. Everyone is as spic and span as they can tonight. Every girl has spruced themselves up to the fullest, a luxury – or chore – that they don't get very often in their line of work. Still, a night to enjoy with your friends without having a care in the world is a much needed grace for a Huntsman, even those in-training._

 _The two approach the ballroom and enter through the doors, nodding at the professors who chaperone this event. Inside is a bunch of students with drinks in their hand – punch, of course. Those without drinks are dancing on the dancefloor, having a great time with their friends. Jet picks out Harrier from the crowd, standing with the rest of their team. Jet and Glynda approach Harrier. Even with a new suit and everything, Harrier keeps wearing his shades glasses. Jet chuckles at this._

" _Still wearing glasses, Harrier?" Jet calls out, grabbing the groups attention._

 _Harrier smiles at his brother, both for his arrival and the pure joy on his and Glynda's face. He can tell already that they're just happy to be with each other._

" _You know I've worn glasses since I was a kid, brother."_

 _Jet nods._

" _That's true. I don't think I've ever seen your eyes. Do they glisten?" He chuckles._

 _Harrier laughs as well, though he shakes his head. He's unsure why Jet's saying this though. He's seen him without glasses before._

" _No, no. I just don't like the lights. But Glynda," he says, changing the subject. "You look marvelous tonight."_

 _Glynda bows her head._

" _Thank you Harrier. You look quite dashing yourself."_

" _Come on," Jet laughs, dragging Glynda to the dancefloor. "I didn't come here to chat."_

" _Gah, Jet! Calm down," Glynda giggles._

 _And thus the night proceeds on with laughs, dancing, and far too many jokes from one Jet Slater. But as the night progresses people begin to tire out. The dances slow down to ones full of emotion for those who wish to share them. Currently Jet and Glynda are participating on one of those dances. Their movements are slow as they hold each other in their arms, Glynda's head rests against Jet's stomach as they slowly twirl around._

" _Hey… Glynda," Jet whispers. Glynda lifts her head from Jet's chest and looks up at him. His cheeks are red, and his confidence is oddly gone. "I… I love you. You know that, right?"_

 _Glynda freezes up. They both stop moving. Glynda's heart skips a beat when she hears those words. She can't believe that Jet actually admitted loving her. She… she's so happy. Glynda grabs Jet's cheeks and pulls him into a passionate kiss. Some of the students not dancing notice, but they refrain from staring._

 _Glynda pulls away and gazes into Jet's eyes._

" _I love you too. Oh, I love you too!" She exclaims, wrapping her arms tighter around him and burying her head in his chest._

 _Jet smirks. As he looks up he sees Harrier watching them. He nods at his younger brother, and all Jet can do is roll his eyes._

" _Shut up," Jet mouths._

 _Harrier chuckles, then goes back to chatting with Glynda's team. This is his brother's night. Perhaps one day, when it's Harrier's night, Jet will do the same thing and look away._

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You _**leap**_ in front of the cafeteria. You're not hungry, per se, but you had nowhere else to really go. You're unsure where everyone is. After Glynda's class where Pyrrha handily defeated CRDL then had a hand at some other student from Haven. That fight was odd to you, however. You don't think he was going all out, but you may have been wrong. You meant to congratulate him after the victory, but he and his partner, a green haired woman, left before you could talk to them. Though you did attempt to give chase, Glynda stopped you for some practice with your semblance.

But maybe you can find someone to talk to, or do anything with. You're kind of bored at the moment, even if you JUST left Glynda. You throw your hands in your pocket and start walking through the grounds of Be-

"GOT YOU!" Yang shouts.

You look to the side right as you hear Yang's weapon go off.

"GAH!" You shout before _**stepping**_ a few feet ahead of you.

Yang looks around for where you are and quickly finds you.

"Y-Yang, lets act like civilised people here," you propose, hands in front of you.

"I BROKE A BATHROOM!"

"And that's… your fault."

Yang's flames shoot higher than before. You fold in on yourself, regretting what you just said. Yang fires a concussive shot at you, which you easily _**step**_ away from. However, when you reappear you notice that Yang's shot is going right for another student from Haven. Your face widens as you realize the implications of this, because no doubt you would be blamed some way or another. You run forward then _**step**_ to their location. Keeping the momentum of your speed, you exit your _**step**_ still running, wrap your hands around the Haven girl's waist, and then _**step**_ away from the blast zone.

Beacon's floor erupts, sending shrapnel all over the place, but doesn't hurt any nearby students. Yang instantly calms down when she realizes she nearly hit a visiting student. You, on the other hand, are holding the woman still. You look over at Yang, shaking your head, then gaze into the woman's stunning amber eyes, well one since the other is somewhat covered by silky, raven black hair.

"He- oh… hey, you okay?" You ask, putting on a smile.

Cinder looks up at you. Her eyes widen when she realizes who she's staring at.

"(Y/N) Slater, pleasure to meet you," you greet as you pull her closer while you step back, allowing you both to stand up straight. "And you are?"

Cinder moves some of her hair out of the way.

"Oh, you can call me Cinder," she winks. "Thanks for the save, (Y/N). How did you do that, anyway?"

As Cinder speaks Emerald and Mercury take a few steps closer, but don't include themselves in your conversation.

"Oh, heh, it was nothing," you humbly smile, rubbing the back of your neck. "It's just my semblance, Shadow Transmission. I can go anywhere I want in an instant."

"So… you can teleport?" Cinder clarifies.

You let your shoulders fall and exhale.

"Why does everyone call it that," you whisper. "Yeah, I guess. But I like my name better."

"It does seem to fit you," she smiles. "And it got me out of some trouble. I guess I owe you one, (Y/N) Slater."

"Heh, nah, it's nothing. Can't have a visitor getting hurt because SOMEONE CAN'T CONTROL THEIR TEMPER!" You shout, leaning your head towards Yang.

Yang approaches you and Cinder.

"You're the…" Yang huffs. "Whatever. I'm sorry for almost hitting you because of this IDIOT'S acts," she says as she grabs your neck and puts you into a headlock.

"Hey, no! Let me go, Yang!" You shout, flailing your arms about.

Cinder giggles at the display.

"Well, seems you're busy. Maybe I'll see you around?" She says as she strolls towards her teammates.

"Yeah," Yang waves. "Sorry again!"

"It's quite alright," Cinder chuckles.

Cinder rejoins her group and they walk away from you and Yang.

"Cinder, what wa-"

"Quiet, Mercury," Cinder snaps, returning to her dominating persona. "Today is not a good day, and Adam is about to be my outlet."

Yang continues to strangle you, her eyes flaring back to red.

"And you, you snot nosed runt, are about to get the beat down of your life!"

"Come on, you weren't the only one! It's not my fault!"

Yang pauses for a moment.

"So I wasn't enough? You needed other people?" Yang questions, getting offended.

"Wa-what? Why does it matter?" You whine, struggling.

"Was my reaction not good enough for you? Who else did you do this to? Did they do something that was funnier than me?"

"Does that even MATTER?"

"YANG? What're you doing?" A young voice shouts.

You and Yang look to the source of the voice. Ruby has her hands on her hips as she speedily walks towards you both.

"Oh, hey Ruby," Yang chuckles. "Just giving (Y/N) the punishment he deserves."

"Where was my trial?" You shout in anguish.

"You didn't get one," Yang says through her teeth.

"I call injustice!"

"Yang, let (Y/N) go! I need your help!"

Yang begrudgingly releases her grip, mumbling under her breath as she does so. You look to Ruby and nod your head, thanking her. In truth you could have escaped if you really wanted to, but there was no point in doing anything drastic in your previous situation.

"What do you need my help with?" Yang curiously asks, calm when speaking to her sister.

Ruby goes a shade of red since you're nearby. She doesn't want to say it in front of you.

"Um… I-I'll explain it in our dorm. We'll see you later (Y/N)! Ruby waves as she grabs her sister's hand and drags her away.

You wave back, then turn away from the girls to proceed with your day. Unfortunately you're bored… AGAIN!

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Ruby leads Yang to their dorm. Fortunately nobody's there, since Weiss is planning for the dance, which Yang should be helping with, and Blake is likely in the library as well working herself to death. These unfortunate situations brings a fortunate one for Ruby, since she needs alone time with her sister. Ruby closes the door behind her and makes sure it's locked.

"Alright Rubes, what's the big deal?" Yang asks, crossing her arms and leaning on her hip.

Ruby plays with her fingers as she tries to get it out.

"I… Well, you're good at the whole… fancy pancy… dancy thing." Yang slowly begins to smile when she assumes what Ruby's going to ask. "And… well I need help. I'm not good with my heels and I want to be able to walk and dance in them."

"AWWW, RUBY!" Yang cheers, bear hugging her little sister. "What's this for?" She continues, moving Ruby in front of her but keeping the little one in her grip. "For a boy?"

Ruby's cheeks light up.

"NO, NO, NO! I just… look, if you want to help then you can't ask why!"

Yang thinks on this proposal for a moment. She has no doubt that this is for you, but she'll let Ruby continue to think that she's being secretive about it.

"Fine. Alright, ooooh this'll be so much fun. Alright, take off your leggings and get in your heels. I don't want to see your dress until the dance."

"I… fine," Ruby pouts.

She grabs a small box from her drawer and heads to the bathroom. At the same time Yang grabs her own pair of heels and sets them on Blake's bed. Yang takes off her boots so she can slip into her heels. Yang has no problem in this attire, so she can walk around the room with no problem. From the bathroom she can hear Ruby complain, fall over, complain some more, and then finally the door opens. Ruby's pale legs are now showing, though her skirt is keeping any private areas hidden. She's wearing a pair of black heels that she's obviously having trouble walking in.

"Blegh, how can Weiss fight in these? I can barely stand," Ruby complains, disgusted by the feeling of these shoes.

Yang laughs.

"We'll make a woman of you yet, lil' sis. Alright, the best way to practice is to simply walk around. So follow me around the room."

Ruby nods. As much as she hates this, she wants to be able to walk properly so she doesn't make a fool of herself in front of you. Who knows, perhaps she'll even dance with you. Ruby's cheeks heat up at the thought of being so close to you, doing such an intimate act. Just thinking of what could possibly happen gives Ruby determination to learn this.

Ruby follows behind Yang as they walk around their dorm. Though nearly falls once or twice, through constant practice she manages to keep herself up, and even walk around at a decent pace. She's wobbling every so often, mostly due to her legs shaking from disgust and discomfort.

"Now you're getting it! It'll probably be easier since you won't have your hood and all that gear. You… aren't wearing your hood, are you?" Yang presses.

"Can't I?"

"No. I don't know what you're wearing, but I forbid you to wear your hood! You're going to be stunning out there. BUT! If any boy looks at you he's meeting my fists."

"Y-Yang! No boy is going to look at me! I don't even care about that," Ruby lies, looking away from her sister.

Yang humbly smiles while Ruby isn't looking. She knows a certain boy is all that's on her mind right now. Whether Yang agrees with it or not, Ruby's going through a lot for this certain boy. He better appreciate all the work her sister is going through.

"So," Yang begins, clapping her hands to regain Ruby's attention. "You're getting the hang of walking around. You still need practice with dancing. You want to dance, right?"

Ruby nods.

"So… who're you going to dance with?" Yang smirks.

Ruby blooms red right away.

"N-Nobody! I just… wanna know how…"

Yang nods condescendingly.

"Mhm, alright. Let's practice then. More walking, then dancing. Let's get started!" Yang cheers, excited for the teachings she'll bestow upon her sister.

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Dylan casually walks along the grounds of Beacon Academy. Normally he would be with Blake, but… well, she's been distant as of late, even to him. It's unfortunate and calls for attention, but he's unsure where she is at the moment, so confronting her isn't an option until she's found. Instead of spotting Blake, he sees you sauntering around with your hands resting on the back of your head.

Dylan huffs at the fact that you're the only one he can find, but it's better than nothing. Dylan diverts his course towards you. You notice him once he's a few feet away.

"Oh, hey Dylan," you smile. "Are you doing… well?"

"I suppose so, yes," Dylan nods.

Your face drops.

"I meant well, like, well, like a well with water," you explain.

"Oh… well that's a stupid joke, then," Dylan dismisses.

You shrug, keeping your hands behind your head.

"Anything going on? Everyone seems to be preparing for the dance this weekend. Are you going?"

Dylan nods.

"I am. I have a suit and everything. Have you gotten one yet?"

"Mhm. I'm actually prepared!"

"That's a first," Dylan whispers. "So, any special plans? Going with someone in particular?"

You laugh.

"Dylan, who would want to go with me?" You wave off, but all Dylan can do is sigh in disappointment. "But what about you and Blake, huh? You've been spending a lot of time together."

"Blake's going?" A voice asks from behind you.

Dylan looks over your shoulder and rolls his eyes at who's approaching. You turn around and see two men walking towards you. You recognize them from earlier: Sun and Neptune.

"I would assume so. Why?" You ask.

"Blake said the dance was stupid," Sun half-heartedly chuckles, evidently disappointed. "If she won't go with me, I doubt she'll go with anyone.

"That remains to be seen," Dylan remarks, rolling his eyes.

"What did you say?" Sun challenges.

"I'm wondering why Blake would ever go to a dance with someone like yourself," Dylan clarifies.

"Oh and you're so perfect! I bet you-"

You and Neptune watch as Dylan and Sun argue about Blake.

"Think they like Blake?" You whisper, leaning to Neptune.

"It crossed my mind," Neptune nods. "Are you going with someone?"

You shake your head.

"No, you?"

"Hm… no, I don't think so. Might end badly," Neptune covers to avoid speaking on a certain subject.

"Ah, fair. Welp, I'll leave you with these two. I'm gonna go find my uncle," you say before _**leaping**_ away.

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You appear in one of the dormitories, but not the one you're familiar with. You know that Harrier has taken residence in the dorms where the visiting students are, thus you decide to check their before anything else. You begin walking, hands in your pockets and your eyes sharp for details. You turn the corner and stop dead in your tracks when you see the woman from earlier; her amber eyes and smoky hair a dead giveaway. She's accompanied by her teammates, well, two of them. You stop right infront of the man, Mercury. However your sudden presence draws all their attention.

"(Y/N)?" Cinder calmly questions. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, heh, looking for my uncle. Sorry, I didn't expect to actually bump into you again."

Cinder steps in front of Mercury, taking the lead.

"It's quite alright. We were just returning to our dorms. Hm… you're going to the dance this weekend, right? Not planning on skipping it?" She giggles.

"No way, I plan to tear up the dancefloor!" You confidently nod.

"I can't wait to see that. But we have homework to do. I hope to see you soon," Cinder says.

"Yeah, definitely. Oh, and, Mercury, right?" You say, looking towards the grey haired man.

"Hm? Yeah, that's me," he responds.

"You wouldn't mind having a little one-on-one sometime soon, huh? I watched your match with Pyrrha and I really want to see your fighting style for myself."

"I…" Cinder looks back at Mercury, giving a nearly unnoticeable approving nod. "I look forward to it," he finally responds.

"Great! Well, let's hope we actually part ways this time. I'll see you all around!"

With a wave and a stroll you leave the team, opposite to how it happened last time. You throw your hands back into your pockets and look out for Harrier's dorm.

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"How did Aza fail?" Cinder questions with venom in her voice. She's furious, but she won't lose her temper. "She blew up an entire forest – miles upon miles has been reduced to ash."

"No need for this argument, Cinder," Adam calmly responds. "I've discussed with that… with your hooded accomplice. He can provide an opportunity to finish Slater off for good."

"And how will his death be guaranteed? Your forced seem to be no match for him," Cinder insults.

Adam snickers.

"Because I'll take care of him personally."

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Dylan, after finally walking away from Sun and realize you left him high and dry, enters the library. He calmly walks through, ignoring any other students who glance at him or any in general. His main idea is to look for Blake. Even if Sun is an ignorant, childish Faunus, he still gives a damn about Blake just like Dylan does. If Sun, along with the rest of her team, think that Blake is acting odd, then there's no doubt they're right.

Dylan keeps his eyes out for Blake. She's not in her room, he walked by and heard Yang and Ruby talking. Its doubtful Blake would be there considering what they were talking about. The only other place Dylan can imagine her being is the library. It's where they used to do research and discuss the White Fang.

Though he does find Weiss, he completely ignores her when he spots Blake sitting at the back of the library. Dylan approaches her, but she's so distracted that she doesn't hear him. He takes a seat beside her, yet he still doesn't even notice him.

"Blake."

Blake shakes her head then looks at Dylan.

"Oh, good, you're here. I got something on the White Fang. You kno-"

"Blake," he cuts her off, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You need to calm down."

"What?"

"Blake, look at yourself! You look tired, you're brushing off your friends, and you're losing yourself. You need to take a break, relax-"

"You want me to go to the dance with you, is that it?" Blake assumes.

Dylan's eyes widen for a split second, then he returns to his normal, stoic face.

"I want you to relax. I don't care if you go to the dance or not, but I want you to leave this alone for now. Not forever, but for now."

Blake shakes her head in disgust as she stands.

"I can't believe it. You know how dangerous the White Fang are, and even you won't take this seriously. Just leave me alone, Dylan," Blake scolds as she walks away, leaving Dylan by his lonesome.

Dylan shakes his head, disappointed at the state Blake's in, and the fact he couldn't help her. He slams his fist on the table.

"Damnit."

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In the end, you didn't find Harrier. Mostly because dorms aren't labelled and you really should have thought your whole plan through. Either way, you gave up and simply laid in a tree until sundown. You're surprised that nobody bothered you as you rested on the branch. Usually someone bothers you, be it Ruby, Weiss, Ozpin, Glynda, or nearly anyone. Though you nearly overslept and missed practice with Glynda. It's nearly time, so you decide to leave your blade in your room.

Remembering that Glynda doesn't want you to _**leap**_ to her room, so you decide to take a walk the entire way. As you pass the hallway you hear Jaune whining in front of RWBY's dorm. This instantly catches your attention. You stop mid walk, your leg in the air, then you spin on your heel and make your way towards the dorm. You stop a foot away from Jaune, about to speak to him until the door seems to open.

"I lied!" Jaune sings, strumming the guitar.

 _Oh my god, he's actually doing it._

"Weiss Schnee… will you accompany me… to the daaaance oooooon," Jaune suddenly pauses, his face panicked.

"Sunday?" You whisper.

"Suuunday," Jaune finishes with a smirk.

You eagerly await Weiss' response.

…

…

…

"No."

The door shuts, and Jaune's left disappointed. You pat his back, giving him a friendly smile.

"You tried, man. That's all that matters," you sensually whisper.

"Yeah… I think I'm going back to my dorm now."

Jaune looks utterly defeated, which does make you feel bad for him. You almost want to scold Weiss, but it's not your business as to whom she can like or not. The heart wants what the heart wants, and Weiss' heart doesn't want Jaune. Either way, you're curious as to whether or not the girls are going.

You approach the door and knock. Weiss opens it.

"I sai- Oh, (Y/N). What do you want?" Weiss asks.

Ruby and Yang poke their heads out to see you. You wave at them.

"Hiya, just saying hi. You girls going to the dance this weekend?"

"Of course, you think I'm going to pass up an opportunity to turn some heads," Yang confidently answers.

You chuckle at her response.

"I'm curious as to what you'd look like in a dress. Weiss I can guess, but you'll be interesting. Though I have to admit," you begin, strolling past Weiss with your hand on your chin. "I'm curious what Little Red will look like with a dress?"

Ruby blushes.

"Well I don't know its nothing fancy but…"

"Don't sell yourself short, sis," Yang chimes in.

"Yeah, you'll look stunning, no doubt. You all will," you nod.

Ruby blushes even harder at your words.

"I'm guessing you're going, then?" Yang asks, changing subjects to save her sister.

You nod.

"Yeah, I'm actually about to- gaah" You randomly spew, not willing to admit you're about to go to dance practice with Ms. Goodwitch. "About to… um… buy a… flower?"

"A flower?"

"Yeah… to… give to someone… or, no, to have in my mouth! A rose! It'll look suave."

Yang laughs.

"Oh, you better have one now!"

 _Well, that was genius of me._

"Heh, yeah. Anyway, I gotta skedaddle. Got somewhere to be. I'll see you three tomorrow?"

With a quick wave you _**leap**_ to Glynda.

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You arrive in Glynda's room, which is spik and span, just as you expected it. You've never actually been inside her room before; the closest you've ever been is at the door. You can hear a sink running, meaning she's likely in the bathroom. As you look towards the bathroom your mind just happens to remember Glynda's request to NOT _**leap**_ into her room. Your face contorts in fear, and you quickly _**step**_ outside her room, in front of the door. Your heart is beating like never before. If she wasn't in the bathroom you might have been thrown out or something.

You exhale, letting all your fear out and replacing it with relief, then knock on her door. Glynda answers the door, but she looks a little different than normal. She's not wearing her glasses, allowing a clear view into her shining green eyes, and her hair isn't tied in her usual bun. You blink twice, unsure how to respond in this situation. You've never seen your strict – and caring – teacher like this before. She's somewhat… casual.

"Ah, you're here. I'm glad, I genuinely thought you'd teleport into my room."

"L… Leap, ma'am," you correct.

"Yes, yes. Well, come in. Let's not waste any time." You walk into her room, closing the door behind you. "Lucky for you that it's Friday, so we have more time to practice."

"That is my genius planning in action," you nod.

"You mean… timing?" Glynda corrects, hiding a smile.

"You could say that," you huff in disappointment. "But I like my reasoning better."

"Of course you do." Glynda moves a table and chair out of the way with her riding crop. "So," she turns to you. "What exactly do you need my help with?"

"Well," you rub the back of your neck. "Just the slow dancing crap. I can dance like an idiot, nooot a problem. But the actual, intimate dancing I'm just not good at."

"Well, I suppose we'll simply have to practice. Come here," Glynda says, waving for her to approach. "I assume since you asked for my help you're comfortable dancing with me?"

You nod.

"Yeah, as long as it doesn't break any rules or anything. Don't want you to get in trouble for helping me."

" _Hm… seems he actually does think of consequences for both parties. Seems when he's not the only one who could be negatively affected he takes more care_ ," Glynda thinks. She smiles at the thought. " _Just like his father._ "

"It'll be fine, I'm sure. Now come here, let's check your posture."

You nod as you make your way to Glynda. She wraps her arms around you, and you do the same for her. Once completing a dancing position, Glynda sizes you up.

"Posture is good, footing looks fine for now. Perfect. Now, let's start moving. You lead."

"Wha- me? I just told you I'm not good at this!"

"And you'll never learn unless you try. You said you know how to dance normally, so you obviously have rhythm. Just do what you think is best. Lead me."

You audibly gulp, then nod. You pulls Glynda so close that you can feel her breath hitting your skin. You take a deep breath and begin to move slowly around. Instantly Glynda can feel Jet's presence, completely and utterly. It's almost like she's dancing with him again. You continue leading Glynda around the room the best you can. She's doing everything she can not to be enticed by nostalgia, thus she judges your form. You haven't stepped on her toes, you haven't moved wrong, and you've been leading her around gently and properly. It makes her wonder why you even needed her help.

You lead her to the middle of the room and stop. You release her from your grip and step away.

"So… did I do well?"

"Y-Yes. I'd say you did well. Are you confident in yourself yet?" Glynda asks, professional once more.

"Uh… hehe, I'm not sure. I feel like I'm not doing well. Any major pointers?"

Glynda sighs.

"Alright, let's dance again and I'll point things out.

 **Aaaaaand that's it! I hope you enjoyed and are eager for the next chapter, since it's obvious what it will be about. I really don't have much to say this time around. I thank you all very much for the support over this time. I've been writing this story for nearly a year now, and I didn't think it'd get to the point it is now. So thank you all, and I hope you're excited for the next chapter. I know I am.**

 **Also, if you have it, why not check out my twitter? I do polls and such there that can determine what content I put out for you guys. Currently the poll is whether you want a Crimson Shadow chapter for October, or have a Halloween special for the Crimson Shadow-verse. You can help make that decision by participating in that poll!**

 **FACT: Originally OC character names were different. Jet, Harrier, and Clementine were actually going to be named Ken, Gen, and Katherine. However, since Slater is a play on Slate, which is a shade of black, I went all the way and changed Ken to Jet, which made him Jet Black. Harrier I changed to play off of Jet, as they're both aircrafts (which you smart readers already knew). Katherine was changed to Clementine for colour purposes, even though the colour thing was said to happen after the great war, so this generation. I didn't have to follow it, but I decided to. In fact, Clementine used to have brown hair and different features, but I changed her appearance to suit her name.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	20. Chapter 20: A Rose by Any Other Name

**Chapter 20: A Rose By Any Other Name, But I Want The One Named Ruby**

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

"Dylaaaaaan," you moan, rolling over in your bed. "The doooooor."

Silence returns to your room when Dylan doesn't answer. You somewhat fall back asleep until…

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

"Dylaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan," you whine, slamming your pillow over your head.

Still no response.

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

 **KNOCK**

Finally fed up with the noise disrupting your ever so sacred sleep, you _**step**_ from your bed and to the front of the door. However, since you're not controlling your semblance in the slightest due to fatigue, you accidently bring the whole bed, sheets, and everything with you, standing straight. The pillow falls on your head, the bed falls towards its actual location, which makes it hit the side of your knee and force you to fall back on the bed. This all results in a massive crash that shakes the room. You, being tired, aren't even fazed by what had transpired.

"(Y/N)? Are you okay? What was that?" Ruby shouts, her voice riddled in concerned.

 _Oh… Little Red. What is she doing here?_

You roll out of your bed, but due to all the commotion your assumptions on position is absolutely wrong. This all results in you falling right onto your back, landing on the floor. You're still barely awake and, thus, the fall barely does anything to your consciousness. You lift your back off the ground and rub the back of your head, move to scratching the top of your head, then extend your arms as you yawn.

"Little… Red… I'm, mmm, coming. One second," you mumble, regaining your bearings as you get to your feet.

You rub your eye, yawning once more as you approach the door. Still not completely awake, you open the door and look down at Ruby. Her cheeks light up when she sees you. Since you just got out of bed, literally, you're in nothing but baggy boxers. Normally you wouldn't do something like this, but you didn't have much motivation to think anything through.

"Hey, Little Red. What's," you let out a yawn, stretching your arms out. "What's up?" You ask, licking your teeth and finally opening your eyes fully.

"Oh, well, hehe, I just, you know, everyone is busy today since Weiss and Yang have to plan the dance and Yang said she's take care of Blake so I thought, hey, why not? So do I wanna hang out with you?" Ruby shakes her head spastically. "I mean, of course I want to hang out with you I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to I just wanted to know if you wanted to." Ruby tries to say more, but she sighs, defeated by her own eagerness.

"Little Red," you say, lifting your hand. "I have to admit… I didn't hear half of what you said. But if you want to hang out with me today, then I'll be happy to be with you. Just give me a minute to… wake up."

Ruby nods.

"Okay. I'll be in my room, so just drop by when you're ready," Ruby excitedly says.

You close the door, then stretch your arms out once more.

"Well, I guess showering is in order. Blegh."

You scratch your head as you parade to the bathroom.

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Ruby lies on her bed, swinging her legs in the air as she waits for you. She reads the book that you lent her all that time ago, but you haven't been missing it so you don't mind that she's the one holding onto it. As she reads, her mind is off thinking of what to do today. She needs a distraction for the day, and then some other one until the dance tomorrow. So today she has you to spend the day with her, or at least be with her for an extended period of time. Her original plan wasn't to do this, but instead think of how to get Blake to go to the dance. However, Yang assured Ruby that Blake would be going. At that moment Ruby knew everything was going to be fine. There are some times that Yang has a look in her eye of such confidence that Ruby believes that Yang has a plan. It's something she's learned over her life with Yang.

So with Blake off her mind, the only thing that can occupy it is her excitement for the dance tomorrow. Normally she wouldn't be one to dress up and want to dance, but this is a perfect time for her to speak with you. Perhaps even reveal her feelings to you. It does seem to be the right time and right setting. Ruby inherently smiles at the thought, the anticipation for tomorrow. She just-

You _**leap**_ into her room, standing in the middle of the room. You look around, seeing if anyone is here, and find Ruby on her bed. You wave and smile.

"Heya, Little Red!"

"Oh… I was expecting a knock," Ruby admits, though not disappointed.

You chuckle.

"Yeah… I keep forgetting about that. I really should stop overusing my Shadow Transmission."

Ruby hops off her bed and lands right in front of you.

"Well, from what my sister and Weiss told me you've been using it against them."

You rests your hands on your hips and look away.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," you blatantly lie.

"Mhm, I'm sure. Well, Mr. Innocent, what do you want to do?"

You return your gaze to Ruby.

"Me? You invited me. I thought you had some sort of plan or idea."

Ruby giggles, going red.

"No… I was just excited to be with you."

You chuckle then rustle her hair.

"No need to inflate my ego, Little Red. I do that enough as it is," you joke, making you both laugh a bit. "But I guess we can go find something to do. We have the entirety of Vale at our finger tips. Two young, strong Huntsmen-in-Training can surely come up with something to entertain ourselves."

Ruby nods, confidently putting her hands on her hips to mimic your previous position.

"Yes, sir!"

You shake your head as you turn to the door.

"Now you're just reminding me of Nora."

You and Ruby leave her dorm and head for the exit of the dormitories. Students are filling the area, talking about school, the upcoming dance, and anything else worthy of a discussion. You're not surprised that it's already midday and you would still be sleeping had it not been for the red hooded girl. You don't blame yourself since you were up with Ms. Goodwitch practicing your footwork for quite some time. Even Glynda was getting tired, but by that time you were confident enough in your dancing abilities. You're going to be the dancing king, probably. You plan on dancing with everyone you can, including Weiss, Yang, Ruby, Pyrrha, and even try your luck with Nora. Anyone who's willing you'll dance with. It'll be a fun time.

But that's not until tomorrow, so you'll leave those thoughts until then. Right now you're spending time with your good friend Ruby, and you have to focus on that. She deserves your full attention. Ruby, on the other hand, is simply enjoying this time of walking and talking with you. Her hands are behind her back as she cheerfully bounces her upper body around while talking.

You two approach the docking area with absolutely no plan at all. You stop at the edge, looking to the beautiful city known as Vale, and the airship on its way to Beacon.

"We always end up here, you know?" Ruby points out.

"We do, huh? Does that classify it as our spot?" You joke.

"I would say, yeah. So, should we just sit here all day?"

You laugh.

"No way, I can't sit still for that long. You know how much willpower it takes to sit still for a class?"

"None. You leave for the bathroom all the time," Ruby cutely giggles.

You pout at her.

"That's not the point here, Little Red."

Ruby giggles once more.

"So… want to go to Vale? I haven't been there since…" Her mind trails back to when they fought Torchwick, and when she was with Penny.

You nod.

"Sure, why not? At least we don't have to take the airship anymore. Here, grab my…" You're about to finish with "shoulder," but given Ruby's size it might be uncomfortable. Instead you offer her your hand. "Here, hold my hand."

Ruby blushes at your proposal.

"W-Why?"

"Because it's easiest. Trust me, it'll be over before you know it."

Ruby concedes. She wraps her small fingers around your hand, feeling your calloused fingers wrap around her extremely soft skin. You focus on Vale, finding the perfect spot to start the day.

"Alright… let's go.

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.

In an instant you both _**leap**_ from Beacon to Vale, near the docks where boats frequently come. Ruby looks around, gaining her bearings as to where you brought her.

"That feels weird," Ruby comments, perplexed.

You chuckle.

"Everyone says that. Anyway, let's get going. I'm sure we'll see something interesting."

Ruby enthusiastically nods. You turn and start walking with Ruby beside you. As you both parade through the streets, something eludes you both. It's so natural, so obvious, yet neither of you have gotten the hint. Your hands are still intertwined from the _**leap**_. Your battle worn hands still cup Ruby's soft ones, spreading a warmth from her hand to her whole body, filling her with comfort and safety.

As your eyes scan the buildings and flyers around Vale, you focus on a small ice-cream shop that has some flashing neon signs. You and Ruby walk closer to it, allowing you to get a better angle to read whatever is being advertised.

"Buy one, get one free," you whisper. "Hey Ruby, wanna go-"

You attempt to point to the shop, but the hand you intended to point with is restricted by something. You look down at your hand and see it intertwined with Ruby's smaller one. Your face explodes, instantly turning red. Ruby looks at you, then follows your eyes to see what you're looking at. You both stare at your interlocked hands, neither of you knowing what to do. Swiftly you both retract your hand.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have seen that earlier and-"

"No, no," Ruby interrupts. "You were holding my hand and I'm the one who had to I just needed to see it and I didn't it's my fault."

"I… uh…" You rub the back of your head, embarrassed at your actions. "You… wanna go to the ice-cream parlor?"

Ruby looks over at the building, then to you with a nod.

"S-Sure. I'd love to."

You both awkwardly walk towards the street crossing and wait for the signal. You can't believe you didn't notice you were holding Ruby's hand. If Yang saw that she'd break all your fingers. Curious to how natural it felt, however. You didn't notice any abnormalities, nor did it feel wrong. It… felt normal – dare you say right. The way her petit, caring fingers matched with yours was something you've never felt before.

You shake your head, getting rid of any thoughts on the manner. It was an accident, nothing more. Ruby probably thinks the same way, so there's no point in dwelling on it. However, Ruby's mentally screaming. She can't believe she actually held hands with you, and the way you pulled back was so cute. You were so embarrassed! Maybe you like her? Maybe you just don't want to tell! Ruby's wrestling with herself whether or not to just tell you her feelings right now as opposed to tomorrow. No, there are too many people around. You might get embarrassed, heck, Ruby can't bring herself to say anything in public. It's her first crush, and she doesn't want to mess it up. She nearly lost you once, which made her even more determined to tell you. Still, waiting a day couldn't hurt… right?

You both cross the street and enter the building. You're instantly hit by a cold wave, which you expected, of course. It's an ice-cream place – what reason would there be for warmth? You and Ruby wait in line, but you still take a gander at the various flavours on display. You glance at Ruby, who's mouth is nearly watering at all the possibilities. You chuckle at her state.

"Which are you looking at? A strawberry sunday type deal?"

Ruby shakes her head.

"No way, I don't really like strawberries. But cookies and cream, ohhh," Ruby moans, losing herself in the thought of how delicious it would taste on her tongue.

"Cookies and cream? Alright, not a problem. I'll probably just having something simple," you add as you return your eyes to the counter.

Soon enough it's your turn to order, and you choose Ruby's obvious cookies and cream, along with your own preference. Once they're both scooped up into cones and the lien is given, you two walk away with your ice-cream. You exit the building and start walking.

"You know, I don't think you need five scoops," you snicker, taking a lick of your own, two scoop cone.

"But it's soooooooooooo good. I can't believe you're gonna let me eat more than you," Ruby comments, subtly making a jab at you.

You shrug.

"Well, you know, I take things in moderation. Unless it's me annoying people. That I'll gouge like no tomorrow."

"I noticed. Yang told me about the bathroom. What was that about?" Ruby asks, holding her ice-cream close to her face, almost like she's hiding behind it.

"Oh, well," you look at Ruby, seeing her silly position. She smiles behind her ice-cream, closing her eyes as she does. You can't help but smile back. She's… quite adorable when she wants to be. "Well… Ms, uh, Ms. Goodwitch was helping me practice my semblance. I was _**leaping**_ between three-"

"What does that mean? _**Leaping**_?"

"Oh, well… hm… _**Leaping**_ is me going somewhere far, like when we came here from Beacon. The other one, _**stepping**_ is short distance, like me going to the other side of the street. But my semblance is called Shadow Transmission."

"Sounds complicated," Ruby bluntly remarks, gobbling down the first two scoops of her sweet.

"Yeah… anyway, my third location just happened to be by Yang. So I thought I'd have some fun with it. Weiss was tortured too, though she didn't break the divider between guys and girls bathrooms."

"So that's what I interrupted yesterday," Ruby realizes. "Guess you owe me one," she smugly smiles.

"Hey, I bought you that monstrous amount of ice-cream. That's your reward. Speaking of which, what did you need from Yang?"

Ruby freezes up, and not because of the ice-cream.

"I… uh… I, see we… she was teaching me… school stuff," Ruby responds.

"Hm… I would have thought you'd go to Blake or Weiss. But I suppose the whole sisterly thing makes sense."

Ruby huffs, relieved that her lie worked. You might not have believed it completely, but you won't delve into what the tru-

"So what class did you need help with?

"I, gah, it doesn't matter. Yang helped me a ton, don't worry. Us sisters can't be beat by nothing!"

"Except… well… me," you slip in, hoping Ruby didn-

Ruby punches your arm.

"I heard that!"

"Haha, be careful, you might drop your ice-cream."

Ruby worriedly looks to her delectable dessert, then starts licking it more and more. You return your attention to your own cone, taking a few licks to feel the taste dance along your taste buds. You can imagine Ruby's taste buds are being overwhelmed, seeing as to how much she's eating at once. Still, if she's happy then you're happy.

The two of you continue on, eating your ice-cream and chatting about nonsense. You even end up walking to places you've never visited before. Ruby made sure to get you both to a familiar area, if subconsciously. You're both too interested in your conversation right now. At the moment, you're discussing the application of your blood with your blade. Ruby's wondering if she could use that with her own weapon, but you doubt Ruby could handle it quite like you can. Besides, you didn't make the sword so the method Jet used to create such a technique so knowledge of how forge that is likely lost, unless someone else helped him build the weapon and thus has that knowledge. You'd have to ask Glynda or Ozpin about that. Who your father's friends were is completely unknown to you, and something you don't really care to learn.

As you and Ruby walk, you pass by a building that you're very familiar with. You stop dead in your tracks, staring up to where a sign once was. Ruby notices you've stopped a few steps later, and looks to where you are. She returns to your side and stares up at the building. Thing is… there's nothing there. No sign, nothing inside the building… nothing.

"Uh… what're you looking at?" Ruby asks.

"Oh… heh, well an old friend once owned this building. Almost was killed by the White Fang, apparently. Who knows what might have happened if I didn't get him out of here," you explain, more in your own thoughts than your conversation with Ruby.

"Oh, so you saved him?"

You smile.

"I suppose. Guess I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm not a Huntsman yet. But… I know one person isn't the same as a village-"

"(Y/N), I kno-"

"And before you ask I'm not dwelling on what happened," you quickly clarify. "But… knowing I could at least help one person puts a smile on my face, you know? Reminds me that being a Huntsman isn't a job. It's almost like…"

"A responsibility?" Ruby finishes.

"Yeah… I suppose you could say that."

You spin on your heel and start walking, spinning Ruby along with you to walk.

"Come on. No point wasting our day staring at a deserted building. Let's go to the park or something."

"Why? So you can play on the playground?"

"Hey! It's fun!" You whine.

"I'm not saying it's not. I just wanted to know since I missed out last time," she answers, cutely smiling at you.

You rustle her hair.

"Alright then, I'll race you there!"

Ruby nods.

"Alright. Three… two… one…" Before you finish you _**leap**_ away. Ruby, who's about to activate her semblance, stops and stares at the dissolving shadow. She forgot about your teleportation and thought she had an easy win.

"That's not FAAAAAAIR!"

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Dylan sets down a speaker gently, assuring that nothing breaks inside the possibly delicate mechanism. Once he sets it down, he hears a loud crash behind him. He looks to the source to see Yang, wiping her hands on each other while she looks at the speaker.

"Did you just throw it on the ground?" Dylan inquires.

"Yeaaaah, it'll be fine," Yang waves off as she walks to grab something else.

Dylan rolls his eyes, then sits at a nearby table.

In truth, he's not sure how he got roped into this situation. He was finishing his school work in peace when Yang and Weiss dragged him away to help. How fortunate that they checked the library first and not his dorm, else you would have been the one taken. Though Dylan left you some time ago, and as he was leaving he spoke to Ruby, who was coming to see you. He has fair reason to believe that Ruby woke you – hopefully. That was a few hours ago, after all, so who knows what you're up to now. Some help with this would be nice, but Dylan's been put to work so he's had no time to message your scroll.

Suddenly Weiss sets down two table cloths and pushes them towards Dylan.

"Which do you think is better?"

Dylan inspects them, then brushes two fingers along each one.

"That one," he points to the left. "It's softer, and has a more interesting rim design than the other."

Weiss smiles.

"Good, that was my choice."

Weiss walks away with that information, leaving Dylan on his own. Though his moment alone is quickly shattered when Yang sits beside him.

"So, having fun helping?" Yang asks, knowing he isn't.

"Barrels of fun, truly. Though I'm too distracted by Blake."

Yang raises her brow.

"Blake? What's the problem? Having a cat fight?" Yang chuckles.

Dylan stares at her, unamused.

"No. She's spiraling down, and won't even talk to me about it. I'm unsure how to help her."

Yang scoots her chair closer then puts her hand on Dylan's shoulder.

"Trust me, she's going to the dance. My biggest concern is Ruby and- hey, Weiss!" Yang shouts, getting out of her chair.

Dylan tunes out of their conversation and ponders what Yang just said. Ruby and… you? Dylan is aware of Ruby's feeling for you; practically everyone but you has picked up on it. Perhaps Ruby is thinking of confessing to you during the dance. It makes sense. Thinking on it, you're probably with her right now while Dylan is here working.

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Thus hours upon hours pass by as you and Ruby have a night on the town. So much time has gone by that night has descended upon Remnant, and you take Ruby to the docks to watch the reflection of the broken moon on the lake. You're leaning on a railing as you stare out to the lake, and Ruby's mimicking your position.

"This was a fun day," Ruby says, looking to you.

"Yeah, I'd say. Wasn't expecting to go that way, mostly because you woke me," you snicker, looking down at Ruby.

"Well, you know… can't let you sleep all day," Ruby chuckles, becoming slightly flustered.

As she's so flustered, she leans forward too far, slipping on the railing and falling backwards. You slip your hand around her waist, leaning back as you hold onto the railing. You chuckle at her clumsiness.

"Little Red, you really have to work on your footing," you jokingly remark, pulling her closer to you.

You let go of the railing once you're confident in your balance. However, Ruby is now directly in front of you, your bodies mere inches away, and her eyes are looking up at you filled with embarrassment.

You smile at her as you stare into her silver eyes. You're always so dazzled by her eyes… and her smile… even her shimmering lips, sparkling from the ice-cream she ate so long ago. You've never really seen Ruby the same as right now. You don't know what it is but… she looks…something.

At the same time Ruby's heart is pounding like mad. You're looking at her in such a way that her stomach fills with butterflies, her cheeks heat up, and she feels as giddy as ever. She's never been in this situation before. From all the stories she's read where the hero finally… kisses… Ruby finally comes to a conclusion.

 _Is he… is he going to kiss me? Am I ready for this? Do I want this? YES! No! The dance, but… I want to… BUT NOW!_

Ruby doesn't know what else to do. She closes her eyes, puckers her lips, and pushes her onto her tippy toes. You watch Ruby do this. In normal circumstances, you'd question it. But something in your mind is telling you to… kiss her. Your mind, your heart, every fiber of your being is screaming "KISS HER!"

You lean into the young huntress, ready to ki-

"Hey, you kids!"

You and Ruby snap out of your trance, then look to the source. It's a dock worker with a flashlight, walking around.

"What're you doing here?"

"Oh… uh…" You rub the back of your head, cheeks red.

"We… I guess," Ruby tries to think of something, but her heart's racing from what almost happened.

"We'll be going, sorry," you wave, gently placing your hand on Ruby's shoulder before _**leaping**_ back to Beacon.

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You arrive at the crossroads between your hallway and Ruby's. You lift your arm from her shoulder and look down at her, cheeks still red on both of you.

"So… Dance tomorrow. You're going?"

Ruby nods.

"Y-Yeah. Really excited."

"Well… I'll, uh… I can't wait to see you there. I… suppose I'll let you go," you sheepishly say.

"Y-Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow!" She says, zooming away from you, leaving rose petals all down the hallway.

Ruby bursts into her room, scaring Yang and Weiss. Ruby hops right into her bed, face into her pillow, happily shrieking as she kicks her feet wildly in the air. Weiss and Yang share a confused look.

"Hey, uh, Rubes. What's up?" Yang speaks.

Ruby completely ignores her sister. The only thing on her mind is that she almost kissed you. She almost kissed you! You actually like her back!

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You _**leap**_ to your room, feeling like you're above using meager doors like everyone else in Remnant. Dylan is lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He tilts his head to see you, and is quite surprised at what he sees. At first he was going to make some remark insulting you, but the look on your face doesn't deserve insults. You're… deep in thought, or so it looks like. Almost shocked, yet contemplating whether or not you're actually shocked or not.

"Slater, what's with the look? I mean, you always look like an idiot, but now you just look dumbfounded," Dylan says.

You lazily wave at him.

"Yeah, hey Dylan, I, uh, just think of something I'd say and we'll do with it," you lifelessly say as you approach, then fall onto your bed.

 _Was I… about to kiss Ruby? Was she going to kiss me? No… no way. That's no possibly. She just slipped, that's all, and I caught her. I just pulled her too close, that's it. There's no way Ruby would do that. She just wouldn't. You're an idiot for seeing it like that. Does that mean… no, it's just been a long day. Stupid thought._

"Dylaaaan!" You moan through your pillow.

"Mm?"

"Nothing."

"Shut up, Slater."

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Today's the day of the dance, and the time is ever approaching. It starts at eight, but you don't intend to go until at least nine or so. But that's a few hours away, so you have plenty of time to prepare, and get those roses Yang's expecting. You just finished more Shadow Transmission training with Ms. Goodwitch, though this time Ozpin watched. He didn't say anything, nor offered any advice. He just… watched. Perhaps he's evaluating your performance as a Huntsman with your newfound power. Finally having a semblance, and one that's quite potent, would make you a more dangerous Huntsman then you were. However, Ms. Goodwitch constantly tells you not to rely on your semblance, and she has truth to her words. You survived seventeen years without it, so getting to comfortable with it may dull your evasive abilities, or make you too arrogant in the face of danger. As if you're arrogant.

Thus you're walking around Beacon with no clear goal in mind, wasting time until the dance. You've spotted a few of your friends lingering around. Weiss and Yang seem to be finalizing all the smaller matters of the dance, Blake and Ruby are nowhere to be found, Dylan's likely in his element, and that leaves the rest of team JNPR to find. There's nobody else to really hang out with, besides the elders like Harrier, Ozpin, and the rest of them. You have no idea where Harrier is, actually. You haven't seen him in some time. Perhaps he'll…

As you think, you catch Harrier in your peripherals, exiting a building behind some visiting students. You wave at him, gaining his attention. Harrier contemplates speaking to you since he has things to do, but a quick conversation with his nephew wouldn't do any harm, and thus he makes a b-line towards you.

"Hey Harrier! What're you up to?" You casually ask once getting close enough.

"Nothing. I have an… appointment with someone I have to go to, but nothing else exciting."

"Oh, that sounds… great," you lie as you begin to stretch your fingers until the crack. "So, are you going to be at the dance tonight?"

Harrier solemnly chuckles.

"No, I've had mine, and there's no point in me being a chaperone. Besides, I'd rather not wear a suit."

"Really? Didn't you use to wear some sort of fancy-like outfit when you were around my age? At least it looks like it with that statue."

"Oh… yeah… I remember that. An interesting time, definitely," Harrier nods. "However, I need to be in Vale. I'll talk to you later, (Y/N)."

"Actually, Harrier, I'm going there too. Do you want a lift? I can get you there faster than anything."

"I… sure, why not," he shrugs.

You nod, then place your hand on his arm.

"Alright, hold on."

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You _**leap**_ yourself and Harrier to Vale, in front of a flower shop. Harrier looks around, gaining his bearings.

"I see. Why here, may I ask?"

"Well, I have to pick up roses anyway."

"For that student? Ruby Rose?"

You think on his words, and the inevitable pun you can make of that.

"Oh, haha, yeah. A rose for Ruby Rose. That's clever. I'll make sure to give her one," you smile.

Harrier remains emotionless.

"Well, I need to deal with my business. I'll see you after the dance."

You nod, giving Harrier a quick wave.

"Alright, see you uncle H!" You shout as you walk into the shop.

You look around to try and spot the roses you required. Unfortunately, you're not much of a flower connoisseur so all these colours are just blending in.

"Alright… it's red… red… there's a few reds."

"Excuse me," an older woman speaks, approaching you from behind. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh," you react, startled by the elder. "Yes, actually. I'm looking for roses. I need… maybe a dozen or so?"

"Oh, of course dear. I'll get them for you, don't you worry. Just wait by the register."

You acknowledge her words with a nod, then head over to the cash register. You lean on the counter, tapping your fingers as you pass the time while the woman gathers your flowers for you.

"A dozen, right sweetie?" She calls out.

"Yeah, that should work, thank you."

Shortly after the woman returns to the register and lays the flowers down. You stand straight up to leave room on the counter.

"Alright, that'll be fifteen lien."

You nod, then search for your wallet. You grab it, throw down the lien, and swipe the flowers.

"You have a magnificent day, ma'am," you politely wish, bowing your head before _**leaping**_ back to Beacon.

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You fix up your suit, making sure everything is set and ready. Of course you refused to wear a tie, thus your dress shirt is flailing out. You fix up your hair, flip your collar, and nod at the mirror. Just on time, a knock echoes off your door. You approach it and open the door, revealing Pyrrha in a beautiful red dress, hugging her figure perfectly.

"Pyrrha… you look beautiful," you honestly state.

"Thank you, (Y/N). You look quite nice yourself. Are you ready to go?"

You nod.

"Yeah. It's a good thing I asked when you were going. We seem to be the last ones that're going to arrive. Oh," you hop over to your desk, grabbing the bouquet of roses and slip one out. You leap back to the door and hand Pyrrha a rose. "For you, beautiful."

Pyrrha giggles as she accepts the rose.

"Thank you. So, would you like to go?" She asks, offering her arm.

You chuckle.

"I thought I was supposed to offer my arm?"

Pyrrha laughs, relaxing to a normal stance.

"No, it's quite alright. I shouldn't be the one around your arm tonight."

"What's that supposed to mean? Who's around my arm?" You ask, curious.

"Oh, uh, nothing. Nothing at all. Come, let's not waste any more time!"

You and Pyrrha, both holding roses, leave your dorm and head for the building. You can hear the music and chatter from outside your dorm, so it's easy to determine where you have to go. You can't wait to see what Weiss and Yang have created. From what Dylan's told you, they've put a lot of work into it. There's fog machines, maybe, and… doilies, for some reason. Still, you're excited that you'll finally get a load off after everything that's happened recently. Besides, missions are starting on Monday, from what Ms. Goodwitch says. That you're definitely excited for.

You and Pyrrha enter the building, greeted by another student. You gaze around the room, trying to find your other friends. You find Ruby and Jaune by the punch bowl, Yang's talking with friends, Dylan and Blake are dancing while Sun eyes them with Neptune, and Weiss is fixing up some flowers.

"Go on, I'm sure everyone wants to speak with you," Pyrrha urges.

"You sure? I definitely want to dance with you."

"We'll dance later on," Pyrrha chuckles. "Go on. Go see Ruby, maybe."

"Sure. I do owe her a rose… and everyone else too. You know," you grin.

You leave Pyrrha and stroll through the crowd, making sure not to knock over anyone's punch along the way. Ruby spots you approaching her and her stomach lights up with butterflies. You stop in front of her, admiring her dress. The red and black compliments her just like her regular clothing.

"You… look amazing," you genuinely say. "Ruby, you're beautiful!"

Ruby internally screams, curling in on herself from your compliment.

"T-Thank you. Y-You look great too." Ruby notices the roses in your hand. "Is… is that?"

You look down at the roses then start chuckling.

"Yeah, I had to. Here, a rose for Ms. Rose," you recite, handing her the flower. Ruby sets down one of the drinks she has and takes the rose.

"Thank you," she softly says, setting the rose behind her ear.

"So, how is everyone doing?" You ask, stepping beside Ruby.

"Pretty well. Blake has been dancing with Dylan and Sun."

"Is… is she playin' them?" You exclaim.

"No way, she's just… I don't know. Feelings are weird things, but you probably know that. I know I do."

"Yeah, I suppose they are," you nod, not picking up on Ruby's deeper meaning. "But, I gotta dance with some people. Little Red… I'll dance with you too, when you're ready," you wink before walking into the crowd.

Ruby almost wants to pull you into a hug and scream that she wants to dance with you right now. But thinking that she may be one of the last, if not the last dance, is… special to her. Thus Ruby decides to wait and watch while you find people to dance with. The first, of course, is the blonde beauty Yang Xiao Long. She scoped you out the moment you arrived and is now approaching you.

"Yang, you look amazing as ever."

"Turning heads, (Y/N). So, you remember when we danced at the club?" Yang says, raising her eye brows.

"I don't think you're in the attire to dance like that. However, if you're looking for something classic," you hold out your hand for Yang. "Then I'd be honoured to oblige."

Yang takes your hand.

"Dancing with you, would be marvelous."

You pull Yang in, but she doesn't falter and instead gets right into the dance. You both start moving fluently, no hesitation, no mistakes. Ruby watches from the side, happy to see that both you and her sister are having fun together. It's… pleasant. She slips her free hand to her ear, grabbing the rose you gave her and sniffs it. It's a beautiful smell. It's a gift from you to her.

While you and Yang dance, you purposefully dance towards Blake and Dylan.

"Hey guys, having fun?" You ask, keeping pace with Yang.

"It's alright, I suppose," Dylan answers, keeping his cool.

"Hey Blake, you mind trading partners? I know (Y/N) wants to dance with EVERYONE tonight and I wouldn't mind seeing what Dylan can do."

You and Dylan lock eyes, coming up with a plan. When the right moment comes, you both spin around, scooping the girls into your arms then going right back to dancing.

"Oh, I didn't know you were such a dancer, (Y/N)," Blake admits.

"What made you think that? Fighting and dancing aren't all the different, and boy can I fight," you exclaim, voice seeping with joy.

"I just didn't expect you to dance normally, compared to what you did at the-"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, let me pleasantly surprise you, then."

You spin Blake around, making her laugh. You haven't heard Blake laugh in such a long time that you've forgotten how sweet the laugh is. Thus you plan to keep it going as long as possible, embracing the old Blake back to reality. After minutes of dancing with the Faunus, you notice Dylan and Yang are no longer on the dance floor. That's no big deal to you, but you still have some other people to dance with.

You spin Blake around then step back and bow.

"Thank you for the dance."

Blake laughs, curtseying you back.

"It was my pleasure."

You give Blake a quick wave before looking around, trying to find someone else to dance with. Of course you manage to pick out the Ice Queen quite easily as she sits at the sidelines. You approach her with a silly strut.

"Well, well. I didn't know you could actually look dashing," Weiss smugly says.

You place your hand on your chest, insulted.

"Why, my Weiss, you just don't know me. I can look mighty fine when I want to, not that I don't always look great," you wink, slightly chuckling at the joke.

Weiss rolls her eyes.

"Yes, you're what every man dreams of being."

"You're finally coming around," you laugh. You then offer Weiss the same hand that was on your chest. "So if you're coming around with that, perhaps you'd like to come around to the dance floor. Dancing with Weiss Schnee would be an honour."

"Because I'm an Heiress?" Weiss snarkily remarks.

"Because you're my friend," you correct.

Weiss humbly smiles at you before gently placing her hand in yours.

"It would be fantastic to dance with my… friend."

You smile, pulling her off her seat and into your arms.

"Now, I'll lead. Just follow my sloppy stepping."

"Oh no…"

You bring Weiss to the dance floor, doing your best to dance as professionally as you can for the near royal one. Weiss, of course, knows exactly how to dance like this. She's probably been trained at a young age and possibly kept up with it. That, or she did the same thing you did and practiced a day or two beforehand. Though that doesn't sound like Weiss at all.

From the floor above, Yang watches over her masterpiece. She's happy everyone is having fun. Ruby approaches her older sister and leans on the railing, watching you dance with her partner.

"Having fun?" Yang cheerily asks.

"Mhm." Ruby nods. "Just… waiting, you know."

"For what? For dancing? I haven't seen you dance yet!"

"I will, I will. Just… waiting."

"For the guy to ask?"

"NO! There's no guy! Why would there be a guy? There doesn't have to be a guy!"

"So who, then? Weiss?"

"NO! Ugh, why do I even talk to you?"

Yang wraps her arm around her sisters neck, pulling her in.

"Because you love me," Yang smiles while Ruby desperately tries to escape.

Yang lets Ruby go, then returns her gaze to the dancefloor. Part of her wishes she hadn't, because down there is… well…

You continue to dance with Weiss, but you stop her when you notice Jaune.

"Hey, Weiss. Check it out."

Weiss looks the same direction as you and sees Jaune, in a dress, offering his hand to Pyrrha.

"Whoooo!" You shout, cheering Jaune on.

You back Weiss up, allowing the whole of team JNPR to take the dance floor and, honestly, steal the show completely. You didn't know Jaune could dance. Or Ren. Or Nora. Or Pyrrha, honestly. You're pleasantly surprised, however. Watching their team dance is absolutely beautiful in so many ways.

"We got some interesting friends, huh?" You remark.

"You're no exception in my book."

You chuckle at that statement.

"True. Though I doubt I'd ever be in a dress."

"I have a feeling you would for a redicuolous reason."

Once again, you chuckle at her words.

"Fair enough. Well, it was a joy to dance with you Weiss. I still have some other people to dance with. We'll talk later?"

Weiss nods.

"Sure. Have fun (Y/N). You deserve it."

You nod and wink at Weiss before leaving her alone. Everyone's enjoying themselves, but there's one person who's on their own right now, and that's Dylan. He's standing by the door, watching Blake and Sun dance. He… is conflicted. He acts like he has feelings Blake, but he's unsure whether that's genuine or just a Faunus thing. Perhaps because she was one of the first to accept him. Perhaps because they've spent so much time together. Either way he has to figure it out. At least he's no you and is oblivious to his own feelings.

Dylan looks out the door, just as a simple act to get some fresh air. As he looks out, he sees someone, a woman, hopping along the rooftops not too far away. She's dressed like some sort of thief, and to come to Beacon like that means they're after something dangerous. Dylan sighs, knowing he can't put this out of his mind and enjoy the night. He steps out of the building, walks until he's sure he's out of sight, then starts running to catch up to the woman.

At the same time you approach Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch.

"Ozpin, Glynda," you greet.

Glynda is a little taken back that you used her first name. You often refer to her as Ms. Goodwitch, which is proper for student.

"Hello (Y/N). Enjoying yourself?" Ozpin asks. "I noticed you've been dancing with team RWBY."

"I have been, and I have plenty more people to get to. In fact," you turn your attention to Ms. Goodwitch. "You would like to dance, Glynda?" You offer.

"I…" Glynda's flustered, unsure how to respond. "That's… unprofessional of me."

"Come on, I have to show you how well I can dance anyway. Besides, everyone will be jealous."

"(Y/N)!" Nora shouts, landing behind you.

"Gah! Nora, what is it?"

"I heard you were dancing with everyone and I haven't been asked yet!" She says, feigning devastation.

"I was getting to-"

"NO EXCUSES!" She shouts, grabbing your arm and dragging you off.

"H-Hey! Come on! Nora, I'm sorry!"

Glynda and Ozpin snicker at your predicament.

"He's built bonds here, with both students and teachers," Ozpin states.

"He's… an interesting one, that's for sure. I know he'll become a great Huntsman, one day."

"One day. For now, all we can do is guide him."

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Dylan enters the CCT after following the woman from a distance. There are knocked out guards around the room. No doubt she's been here. Dylan investigates their bodies, kneeling down and feeling for a pulse.

"Alive, good. Alright, she's not on the ground floor, so she's likely on a higher level." Dylan stands up and looks towards the elevator. "I suppose I have to follow," he decides, readying his weapons for battle.

He approaches the elevator to see what floor the elevators are situated at. One is on the ground floor, and the other is far higher. No doubt she's on that one. Dylan calls the elevator, enters it, puts in the floor, and allows the elevator to go. Dylan's thinking of who this person may be. She's a woman, no doubt from the figure he saw, but he couldn't see any details in her appearance. He's interested in who could be daring enough to attack the CCT.

Soon enough the elevator reaches the top and dings. Dylan exits the video, scanning the room. It's quiet, it's dark, but something's wrong. Dylan knows someone else is here, not because of the evidence he previously gained, but the air here is wrong. There's… a dark presence. Dylan keeps his eyes peeled.

"I know you're here. No point in hiding."

Surprisingly, someone comes out of cover. A woman, as Dylan thought, with flowing black hair and piercing eyes. She has a mask on with a… interesting outfit on.

"Well… that worked. Now, how about you come with me so we ca-"

Cinder throws some dust in front of her, forming ice spikes and sends them towards Dyaln. Dylan doesn't move, but instead manipulates the water inside the ice to stop them. He tosses them to the side, not moving an inch the whole time.

"I suppose I have to get my hands dirty, hm?" He says, sliding his foot back and raising his fists.

Cinder smiles at the challenge, but Dylan is thinking far more than he should have to. His weapons will destroy this room with ease, and using water will damage the electrical equipment, which is basically the entire room. He's at a disadvantage through damage control. Thankfully he's done some tweaking to Zephyr Shale. He manipulates the muscles in his hand, changing the amount of air that shoots out of his weapon to a more condensed beam with the same velocity – making it more deadly than his normal version.

Dylan punches, shooting a very condensed, visible wave towards Cinder. It's around the size of large orange, making it easy to dodge, but devastating if hit. Cinder leaps back, swaying her body out of the way. As she does this her clothes light up and two weapons appear in her hands.

"Glass infused clothing, hm?" Dylan notes.

Dylan shoots more air at her, which she perfectly dodges as she rushes towards him. She leaps into the air, forming a bow and three arrows out of her two blades, and fires them at Dylan. Dylan jumps forward, intending to close the gap between the two. He spins on his heels and goes to shoot in the air… but she's no longer there.

"Wha-"

Suddenly he feels a presence… no… two, behind him. He turns around to witness Cinder about to stab him, and Harrier holding Cinder's attacking hand. For the first time since he arrives, Harrier's body is revealed, even if it's only his forearm.

"No need to spill blood, tonight. It's a celebration," Harrier says in a very menacing voice to Cinder, before throwing her into the far wall.

The impact is hard, sending an echo through the entire room. Harrier retracts his hand back under his cloak and keeps his eyes on Cinder.

"Thanks," Dylan speaks, looking up at Harrier.

"No need, the fight's over."

Dylan's unsure what he means until he looks for Cinder. Key words is looks, since Cinder is no longer in sight. Dylan looks around, utterly shocked that someone got passed himself and Harrier. If anything how did Harrier miss her? Furthermore, to add onto the calamity erupting in this room, the elevator door opens to allow General James Ironwood into the room. He instantly spots the two and the slight destruction brought on by Dylan and Cinder's fight.

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You have had a blast tonight, and it's not even twelve! Well, it's almost twelve. Still, you've managed to dance with all your friends, and even a few girls who simply wanted to dance after seeing you basically handing them out. You didn't have enough roses for every girl, but your friends got some, along with Ms. Goodwitch and a few randoms. But now there's one last girl you owe a dance who's already received a flower: Ruby Rose. She's standing by the punch bowl drinking what must be her seventh drink. She's not alone, at least, as Yang is standing with her.

You make a b-line towards Ruby, which means you need to cut across the dance floor. It's a slower dance now, despite the odd moves Neptune is using, so everyone is already in pair. A perfect time for you to give Ruby her first dance. As you slide through the crowd someone places their hand on your chest. You look at the owner of the black gloved hand and see those same stunning eyes you've seen before.

"Oh… Cinder. I didn't know you were here – probably would have spotted you. You look… stunning, I must say," you say, smiling at the alluring woman in front of you.

Unknown to you, Ruby is watching you the whole time, from the moment you started walking towards her. She's pouting at the fact that someone's stalling her dance with you, but she's willing to wait a few more minutes.

"Arrived a little late, unfortunately. Luckily I ran into you. Would you care to dance? I'm feeling ever so lonely."

You're giddy inside at the thought of dancing with someone like Cinder. So much so you can't help but say yes. You have plenty of time to dance with Ruby, so there's no worries.

"Of course. It would be rude of me not to dance with one of the exchange students."

You and Cinder set up, taking her laced hands into your own. You take position and start dancing. The music suddenly starts to pick up, and Cinder seems to be getting more into it. You, of course, reciprocate. She steps away, keeping her hand intertwined with yours, then you spin her back into your arms, holding her right against you. Your moves start to get attention from other dancers. Similar to when JNPR danced, everyone is now just watching you and Cinder as you dance.

As the song comes to a close to you dip Cinder down, then pull her close so your noses are basically touching.

"Well, well. Handsome and a dancer," she chuckles.

"Man of many talents, one you say," you wink.

"Kiss her!" Someone shouts.

"Yeah, do it!"

"Kiss her! Kiss her!" Everyone starts cheering.

All your friends around the room pause at this development, their eyes darting between you and Ruby. Ruby's in denial. You won't kiss her, that's silly. You've danced with so many girls tonight and none of it was serious. No way you'd do this. Yang is thinking the same thing, but she has some doubt. You have no reason not to kiss her, but you have to know about Ruby's feelings by now. Ruby even told Yang about what happened the night before. You have to know this would destroy Ruby.

"Well," you start, looking around the room. "Should we give the crowd what they want?"

"I wouldn't say no," Cinder seductively winks.

You shrug, seeing no reason not to. You and Cinder close in, locking lips in a sensual yet passionate way. Nora covers her eyes, shaking her head. Jaune and Pyrrha can already tell what's going to result from this. Weiss and Blake have their hands over their mouths. Yang's eyes has sparked a blood red. Ruby… Ruby stares at you kissing Cinder, absolutely devastated at what she's seeing. You're… kissing another girl. But you like her. You like Ruby, not Cinder. Why would you do that? Ruby's eyes start tearing up, her mind and heart unable to cope with what she's seeing.

"Y-Yang I think… I just… I j-just have to step out for a second," Ruby says, holding in the tears as she runs out of the building.

Yang watches as Ruby slowly breaks down, and her rage only escalates at this sight. She looks back to you as you're still kissing Cinder. Her lips are soft and warm. Her technique is professional. She's… amazing at kissing. Cinder's enjoying herself aswell, no doubt about that. This may be for selfish reasons, but she's glad she bumped into you before finding Mercury and Emerald.

Finally two break off, taking a breath.

"Well that was… amazing," you admit, letting out a chuckle.

"And a good kisser too. Might be the perfect man. Well, I have to see my teammates. See you around," she says, her voice doing its best to leave you wanting more of her. You watch her walk away, then look to Yang. You run up to her, excited beyond belief.

"Yang, did you see that? That was… man, I can't believe it."

Suddenly Yang grabs your hand, her grip very tight.

"Come with me," she says through her teeth.

You shrug, following Yang. All of your friends see this and immediately go to follow in fear that Yang will actually kill you.

Yang brings you outside, at the bottom of the steps before letting go of your hand. You grab your wrist, twirling your hand around.

"Sheesh Yang, what was the gri-"

Yang throws all her anger into a fist, punching into your cheek and nearly breaking your jaw. You fly across the ground, bouncing off the concrete a few times before slamming into a nearby pillar; thankfully not the broken pillar that's somehow still standing. You rub your cheek as you get to your feet.

"OW! The hell was that for?" You shout, walking back to Yang.

"How could you just do that to her? You know what she did for you tonight? All the effort she went through so she could impress you?" Yang screams, meeting you half way.

"Wha- who?"

"All that time and you couldn't even figure it out! You just don't care do you? You can't see how wonderful a girl she is!"

Yang throws another punch, but, being ready for it, you move your head out of the way.

"Yang! Stop," she throws another one, which you slide around to her back to dodge it. You grab her arms and hold them behind her. "What're you talking about?"

"She's talking about Ruby, (Y/N)," Weiss reveals.

You let go of Yang and turn around. All your friends are there, which is confusing you completely.

"Little Red? Why?"

"She wanted to dance with you!" Yang shouts. "She spent all this time to get ready and you did this to her!"

"What did I do?" You shout.

Everyone sighs in your ignorance.

"(Y/N), have you really not noticed?" Jaune brings.

"Not noticed what!?"

Yang clenches her fist in anger. Blake quickly moves to Yang in an attempt to calm her down.

"Everything Ruby has done for you. All the time she's been there, talked to you, looked up to you," Weiss preaches, walking right to your face. "Ruby likes you. She has a crush on you."

Your eyes widen, and your face draws a blank. You look utterly confused, like your mind is just now putting all these pieces together.

"This entire time, for so long, she's had this crush on you and tonight was the night she wanted to tell you, then you go off and kiss some other girl that you barely know. How do you think that makes her, a fifteen year old girl who's having her first crush, feel?" Weiss preaches, taking all of Yang's anger and forming into a cohesive thought.

You don't answer, but simply stare blankly ahead.

"(Y/N), I don't know whether you like Ruby or not," Jaune speaks up, attempting to be serious in his dress. "But you need to talk to her. You need to clear the air."

You nod, though you still hold the same expression.

"Yeah… yeah, I do. Yang, I'm sorry. I'll go find her right now."

Yang calms down a bit, then huffs.

"You better fix this, or you're not going to see the light of day!"

"I will, I promise."

Weiss grabs your cheeks and moves your face towards her. She stares into your eyes a moment, taking it all in. She'll never admit it ever, but she does like you the same way Ruby does. This event alone has buried her chances of ever being with you, but she's okay with that. However, she needs this moment to let it go once and for all.

"You're a lucky guy to have someone as amazing as her like you. Now go," Weiss states, speaking both of her and Ruby.

"Yeah, I got it. I'll be back with Little Red when I find her. You guys go back and have fun."

Everyone makes their way back into the building, shutting the giant doors behind them. You stare at the floor, unsure how you're going to resolve this matter. You have to do something, though you're unsure what. Hell, you're going to have to find Ruby before you can do anything. So you think on where she could be.

 _Her dorm? That's the first place to check._

You _**leap**_ there, hoping Ruby might not be changing. However she's not even there. You need somewhere else to go, but where could she have gone? She has no real spots at Beacon that you know of. She usually wanders around looking for someone else. At times she found you at…

You _**leap**_ a short distance away from the docking area, and there she is, crying as she looks up at the moon. Your heart sinks when you hear those sobs. You just can't accept the fact that you've put Ruby in this position. You shake your head and slowly approach the docking area.

"Ruby…" you quietly say, though that whisper gains her attention.

She turns around to see you, wiping away her tears that's ruining the small amount of make-up Yang put on her.

"Oh, (Y/N). W-What're you doing here?" She asks, her voice wobbling like she's about to cry any second.

You huff at that sound.

"Ruby… I… I'm sorry."

"S-Sorry?"

You nod, then walk right beside her.

"I'm sorry that I'm an idiot. Sorry that no matter how obvious it should have been I just failed to see it. Sorry that I hurt a wonderful girl like you. I… I should have seen that you had feelings for me. Should have made it easier on you"

"But… how did you figure it out?"

You smirk for a second.

"I had a little help from friends," you say as you lightly rub your cheek. "But now I'm here with you, hoping I can making things right."

"No, no, there's nothing you need to do. I'm just an idiot girl who can't compare to her."

You shake your head.

"You're wrong. She's great, sure, but… she hasn't been there for me, you know? She hasn't talked to me about my family, saved me in battle, taken care of me when I'm sick, cheered me up just at the sight of her smile, looked at me with beautiful silver eyes and…"

It dawns on you.

All those things were about Ruby.

Everything you want in someone, everything has been set as a standard by Ruby.

She's been there for you since you first came to Beacon. She's your crutch when you're weak.

She's your source of joy when you're down.

She's the unnamed Rose.

You lightly chuckle, shaking your head, licking your teeth.

"I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. I… I'm far too blind to everything."

"What are you- gah!"

You pull Ruby in for a hug, expressing all emotions you have for her. She doesn't know what to do for the first few seconds, but she slowly wraps her hands around you.

"Ruby… I didn't see it before but… I…"

She tilts her head back and looks up at you. You look down at her, and decided to show rather than tell. You quickly, and gently, connect your lips to hers. Ruby has no idea what to think at this moment. Her mind is blank with a rush of emotions ranging from excited to scared. She's never kissed a boy before, yet the way you're handling it is amazing. You're not being forceful, you're not stepping boundries. You're simply kissing her, showing that you care for her.

You break away from Ruby, staring into her hopeful silver eyes.

"I… like you too, Ruby."

Ruby doesn't know what to think. She doesn't know what to say. All she can do is hold onto you tighter and hope this moment never goes away. However, she suddenly feels something strange go through her entire body. She looks around to see you're both in the middle of the dancefloor, hugging. You slide your hands onto hers, initiating a dancing stance.

"I still owe you a dance, Ruby. And I'd think of no better last dance than my girlfriend. If you'd allow me to call you such."

Ruby slowly smiles, tears coming back though this time from pure joy. She nods, sending the tears into her dress, your shirt, and the floor.

"I'd love to!"

She rests her head on your chest, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment. She doesn't want this moment to end. She wants to feel this feeling, experience this joy, live in this moment forever with her boyfriend.

 **And that's how Slater September is going to end. Yes, I know its October but it's still the same week so… shut up you got a chapter! Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed it. It took twenty chapters but FINALLY the pairing has come together. Sheesh, could I have taken any longer? Still, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **On some worse news, I don't know when the next chapter will be out. There will be a Halloween Special for October that will replace the Crimson Shadow chapter, and then November is going to be a month for my other story. Thus it's possible that the next chapter won't be out until December. I'll see how it goes. Maybe I can fit one into my schedule for October.**

 **FACT: Golden continues to be the best ever so praise him and his almighty god presence that brings upon the Golden (∩** **͜** **ʖ** **)** **ﾟ** **.* of amazement.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Want to support me in creating more content? Get your own one-shot written? Decide which stories I focus on? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	21. Volume 2 Finale - Chapter 21: A Lone

**Volume 2 Finale - Chapter 21: A Lone Warrior's Fierce Battle**

You hold Ruby in your arms, bridal style. She's sleeping away from all the dancing that you both participated in. Once you finished your first dance, the dance that basically solidified your newfound relationship, you remained with Ruby the entire night. Nothing special happened. You danced a bit more and talked with only Jaune, which was weird. You never ran into any of your other friends. That's probably because you left early since Ruby was getting tired. Thus, here you are, a sleeping Ruby in your arms as you bring her to her bed.

You're still surprised at how oblivious you were to Ruby's feelings. All this time she had a crush on you and you couldn't even see it. Well, you failed to realize your own feelings for her. If you can't recognize your own feelings, it's doubtful you would spot hers. Almost makes you wonder if anyone else had feelings for you that you just couldn't see. You snicker at the thought. There's no way that would be the case.

You turn the corner, down her dorm's hall. You could have used your Shadow Transmission to _**leap**_ there, but you weren't sure whether or not that would wake Ruby or not. Everyone says it's an odd feeling, after all. Thus, you decided to walk her there. The hallway is very peaceful and quiet. Any students who occupy the dorms are either asleep, or still at the dance. Though this hallway isn't usually loud, and any excessive noise generally comes from either your dorm or RWBY's dorm. The one time you sang for Dylan comes to mind.

You reach RWBY's dorm and gently rest Ruby beside her door. Since it doesn't look like Ruby has any pockets for her scroll, you decide to just _**step**_ inside the room so you don't have to pat her down unnecessarily. Once you set Ruby down you prepare to enter her room.

"(Y/N)?" A voice quietly speaks.

You look down the hall to see Blake gingerly walking towards you, trying to be as quiet as she can despite her heels.

"Oh, hey Blake," you respond, keeping your voice soft.

"What're you doing?"

"Just, uh, bringing Little Red to bed. Do you have your scroll so I don't have to break in?"

Blake shakes her head with a smile.

"Of course."

You step out of the way so Blake can access the room. She flashes her scroll, granting access, then opens the door. You take Ruby in your arms once more and bring her inside.

"So, I assume everything is fixed?" Blake asks as you gently rest Ruby on her bed.

"Yeah, I would say so. We're… dating now," you cautiously reveal as you take off her shoes. "So I guess that means we're golden."

"Well, I'm happy for you. It's something Ruby's waited a long time for."

Those words don't give you any comfort. If anything it goes to show you've been blind for so long. Though it shouldn't matter since, in the end, you and Ruby are now together. But it could have been sooner, you could have saved her from any pain you caused. You could have done more.

"Yeah, seems like it. What're you doing here, anyway?" You ask, placing Ruby's shoes under Weiss' bed then turn to the Faunus.

"I was looking for Dylan. I haven't seen him in some time. I got worried."

"Oh, yeah… I haven't seen him for a while, but I've been busy," you respond, crossing your arms and approaching Blake. "Maybe he went to bed. Want to come with me and check?"

Blake nods.

"Okay."

You both leave the dorm, closing the door behind you so Ruby can have her privacy. You and Blake walk down the hall, standing side by side, shoulders nearly touching.

"So… I have to ask. You… and Sun and Dylan. What's with that?"

Blake blushes a little bit, but doesn't allow you to see it.

"It's… complicated. Does he have feelings for me? Dylan, I mean?" Blake inquires as she squirms, looking to you for the answer.

"Um… I don't know. He's not the most open guy, at least to me. Though that's probably my fault. I make it my mission to annoy him."

"I thought you like annoying everyone?"

You laugh.

"You know me too well, Blake. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you," you joke.

"Depends on who you ask, I think," Blake answers, refusing to really give an answer.

"Yeah…" You both turn the corner and head for you room. "But… do you? I mean, from what everyone sees, Sun has a bit of a thing for you too. Must be complicated, having two people interested in you."

Blake raises a brow, thinking of both Ruby and Weiss. Though Weiss never really told anyone, but Blake knew. She could tell by the way Weiss acted and the way she spoke to you. While Ruby was more of a school girl crush, Weiss was more… cold in her liking. Almost as if she didn't want to like you, or really didn't want you to know. But of all people, you should know what its like to have more than one person interested in you.

"Uh… yeah. It's… odd. I never thought this would happen. It's uncomfortable," she honestly answers.

"I mean… hold on…"

You reach your room and flash your scroll. The door unlocks so you and Blake can enter. You both walk in, look around, and conclude that Dylan is not here. Where he is… who knows?

"Well, I guess this is the best place to talk," you say, closing the door behind you.

You take off your jacket and toss it on your nearby desk, letting your arms have more room to actually move. You look over at Blake, who's standing by your bed uncomfortably. You gesture towards Dylan's bed.

"Take a seat. It's more comfortable then standing, and you can get off those heels."

Seeing no fault in your logic, Blake takes your recommendation to heart and follows your advice. She sits on Dylan's bed and takes off her shoes, letting her feet breathe. You take a seat on your own bed and focus all your attention on Blake. She's still in her dress, which augments her natural beauty.

"So I guess Dylan isn't here," you say, pointing out the obvious. You and Blake stand in the room for a moment, allowing awkward silence to seep into the feeling. "So… I heard… I mean, are you okay, Blake? I heard you've been… off, lately."

Blake diverts her gaze from yours, but mentally slaps herself for it. All her friends have been concerned for her, and every time she just runs away or ignores them completely. You've shown to be a friend to team RWBY and to her.

"I'm fine now, I promise. I suppose I let myself... be overtaken by duty, you could say. The best example I could come up with is when you… were gone," Blake avoids the subject but you know exactly what she's talking about.

"Yeah… I know what you mean. But hey, Blake," you say in a far more cheery tone than before. "If you ever need to talk… well, go to your team first… then maybe Dylan… but if those options aren't available then I'll be there for ya!"

Blake giggles at your helping hand.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Well, it's late, and we have our missions tomorrow. I'll let you rest, (Y/N)," Blake says, bowing her head before getting off the bed and heading for the door. She stops at the door and quarter turns her body to you. "And… treat Ruby well. Not even I know what Yang will do to you if you hurt her."

You nervously rub the back of your head.

"Yeah…"

Blake flashes a smirk before leaving the room. With nothing left to do tonight, you undress and hop onto your bed to get ready for the next day.

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Dylan stands in the elevator, thinking on what to do. He didn't get a wink of sleep last night, but that's likely because he didn't go back to his dorm. After being dismissed by General Ironwood after the encounter with the masked woman, Dylan promptly went to the lakebed below Beacon and meditated. Water always calms him down, after all, and there are some things he needed to think on, anyway.

But now Dylan faces a decision. No doubt Ozpin, Ironwood, Glynda, and Harrier will be there. The question is… what does he say? She didn't let any information slip, but… he has a feeling she might be involved with Roman and the White Fang. The only lead he has to go off this is her eyes. Dylan never truly met the higher ups, other than Roman, but he knew of a woman who was leading the whole thing. From what Aza told him, she had glowing amber eyes. Those same eyes were on the assailant he fought last night. Thus, her plans likely mirror the ones of the White Fang, so thinking that the information about the south-east quadrant that Sun and Blake gathered the other night links to that woman isn't so much of a stretch. Even Ozpin knows of Dylan's previous alignment, so explaining his knowledge on this wouldn't be complicated.

The elevator door opens, showing the very same people Dylan assumed would be there. He leaves the elevator, silently approaching the four Huntsmen.

"Dylan. Thank you for coming. Are you feeling okay?

Dylan shrugs.

"I didn't get hurt, so I'm fine."

Harrier snickers, knowing he's the reason Dylan's unscathed.

"Dylan, I want you to know that you acted like a true Huntsman last night. You recognized a threat, took action, and did the best you could."

"Thank you," Dylan bows his head, though he knows in his mind that he didn't do the very best he could.

"So…" Ozpin pushes on. "Harrier and the General have already informed us of the events that… transpired, last night. But you were there first, so we were wondering if you had anything to add."

"Yeah, Brine. I'm sure she said something," Harrier says in a tone that's insinuating… something.

Dylan eyes Harrier, then looks to Ozpin. There's no time to wrestle with his thoughts. He knows what he has to say.

"I… yes, actually. Ozpin, this woman… I know her, somewhat. She's linked to the White Fang and Torchwick, though I don't know their intentions. What I can tell you is that they have some sort of base or hideout in the south-east."

Harrier smirks at the information.

"I can back that up," he says, gathering everyone's attention. "I've been investigating in my own time. There's definitely something in that area."

Glynda keeps silent, making sure she's not even facing Harrier, who's beside General Ironwood. Ozpin notes this, but doesn't say anything about it. No point.

"Thank you, Dylan. Get some rest."

Dylan nods, taking a few steps back before turning around and heading for the door. He enters the elevator and leaves the four to themselves. Now that Dylan just spilled the beans on the information he and team RWBY gathered, it only makes sense for him to visit them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dylan knocks on RWBY's door, expecting to wait a moment for it to open. However the door opens immediately, and Ruby is standing at the door. Her entire persona droops.

"Oh… I thought you were (Y/N)," she admits, moping back to her bed.

"He's… still sleeping. I think. I haven't been at my dorm since yesterday."

Everyone is instantly intrigued at this line.

"What? Why?" Blake asks, putting her book down.

Dylan enters the room, gathering everyone's attention.

"So… last night Beacon was infiltrated by someone. I fought them but they got away."

"What? Who was it?" Weiss exclaims.

Dylan shrugs, then places his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not sure, but because of this I had to talk with Ozpin. I… told him about our findings – about the south-east."

"That's a risky move. Did he not question you about it?"

Dylan shakes his head.

"No. I used my status in the White Fang to cover it. But… I thought that we might be able to go to the sector since we have our missions."

Everyone nods in agreement.

"That was smart. Perhaps we can get a mission in that sector?" Blake brings up.

"When are we supposed to get our missions, anyway?" Yang asks as she flips a tube in her hand.

"Sis, what is that anyway? You've had it all day," Ruby speaks.

"Oh, right! It's something from home, actually!"

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You know your mission is today, whatever it may be. Most people are preparing, socializing with friends, the average teenage desire. In truth, it's what you should be doing too. You do have a new girlfriend, after all, and you're sure she'd love to see you. But sometimes you need some alone time, even if that means just resting on a tree as dozens of Beacon students pass you by. Though you haven't been doing much resting, in truth. Ever since your battle with Aza, and the rumour of your death, students have found you more and more interesting to talk to, or even train with. By your count, you have fifteen challenges that you have to get around to at some point, and that doesn't include your planned bouts with Mercury and Yang.

Funny how the scare of death increases your popularity around here. Well, you'll take it while it lasts. It's not like you're going to be on the verge of death any time soon. It's going to be a relaxing time for you, other than the upcoming mission for all first years.

"Would all first year students please report to the amphitheater," Glynda's voice echoes through the intercom.

You whine as you realize you're going to have to move after all this lack of relaxation. You slide your body down the tree so you're on the ground, though your jacket is now bunched up around your upper back. You pout at the inconvenience, then decide to do something far easier. You simply _**step**_ a foot away, standing. You hold yourself in place for a moment, contemplating what you just did.

"I just teleported a foot… so I wouldn't have to actually stand. Well, Slaters gonna slate, I guess," you recite, walking away. After a few steps you stop and chuckle at what you just said. "Slaters gonna slate… wow," you shake your head, a goofy smile plastered on your face. "Well, guess I might as well _**step**_ to the amphitheater. Actually… you know what, I'm gonna walk there as punishment for my laziness. I'm a Huntsman! I have to stay in tip top shape!"

You nod at your decision before marching your way to the building.

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Ozpin finishes his speech, which was well spoken. Unfortunately you didn't find anyone as you walked, so you listened to it all alone. It doesn't bother you too much, since you're sure you can find-

"(Y/N)!" A young voice shouts as you're suddenly tackled in a red blur.

You're forced into the nearby wall and slide down once the momentum is going. You shake your head, moaning in the slight pain it caused, then look down at two silver eyes happily staring at you.

"Hi!" Ruby says, a big smile on her face.

"We… have to set some rules," you chuckle, ruffling her hair. "If you do this every time, Ozpin's going to start charging me for the damage," you comment, pointing at the indented wall.

Ruby giggles, overly excited from seeing you.

"Sorry. I couldn't help it."

You get up, separating yourself from Ruby's clutches. She giddily stands in front of you, smiling as she stares at you. You chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"So, did you get a good sleep?"

Ruby nods.

"I did! I ju-"

"Ruby!"

Yang jogs to you two, slowing down as she gets to your location.

"Oh hey, Yang. Your team get a mission yet?"

"Well, we were going to find one, but SOMEONE ran away."

Ruby rubs the back of her head, nervously giggling. You pat her shoulder.

"Go with your team. We'll chat when everything is said and done."

Ruby rustles with the idea, but eventually agrees. She gives you a quick, affectionate hug before walking away with her sister.

She doesn't know why she's like this around you. There's just a desire to be with you, and such an overwhelming feeling of joy when you're around her. She's never felt like this in her entire life. Was this what she felt before? It's almost like a door that's been locked has finally been opened, and now all her feelings and emotions flood into her brain, skewering her vision with fondness and need. Even Ruby herself knows this is different from her regular self, and the only reason for this change is you. It's not a bad change, of course. Ruby couldn't be happier knowing that you're at her side, caring about her as much as she does about you.

But she'll spend some time with you momentarily. Right now she has a mission to get to the south-east.

At the same time, you have no idea where you're going to go for your mission. Luckily Dylan abandons team RWBY and regroups with you.

"So, do you have a preference?" You ask, leaning on your hip.

Dylan thinks on this for a moment. He would like to investigate the south-east, but he feels like both team RWBY and your pair going wouldn't be allowed.

"Not really, no. I suppose we can go where we're needed."

"Which is here, at Beacon," Glynda adds, approaching you two.

"Oh, heya Ms. Goodwitch," you smile and wave. "What'd you mean by that?"

"Well, unfortunately you two are only a pair. These missions require teams. Thus, you'll be remaining at Beacon as reinforcements."

"WHAT?" You holler, waving your arms in the air. "That's not fair! You know I could smoke, like, every team here!"

This claim gains the attention of several groups in the room from the three other schools. Dylan shakes his head.

"I won't be aiding you if they wish to take you up on that challenge," he makes clear.

"Well what kind of partner are you to not help your friend in need?"

"One who doesn't run his mouth?"

"Enough," Glynda cuts in, making you both shut up. "You'll remain at Beacon, and that's that. Perhaps you can train your tele-" You squint at her. She sighs. "Your Shadow Transmission."

You smile at the proper title.

"I suppose. Come on, Dylan, let's go wait outside. Everyone's giving me weird looks."

"I wonder why," he rolls his eyes.

You shrug.

"Meh, Slaters gonna slate."

Dylan stops in his tracks, his brain attempting to process what you just said.

"I… what?"

You chuckle.

"A new phrase I'm testing out. Rolls off the tongue, huh?"

"It rolls off the tongue as well as-"

"Don't… ruin this for me," you demand, waving your finger at him.

From a distance, Harrier watches the ordeal. He has things to do outside of the kingdom, and with the knowledge that you and Dylan won't be anywhere… well, he could use the company.

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"So I just said it, and thought it was awesome!"

"It's stupid."

"It rhymes!"

"That doesn't make it smarter. If anything that makes it more childish."

"Ahem, you mean easier to remember!"

"For simple minded folk, yes."

"I am not simple minded!"

"No… more narrow minded."

"Thank yo- Wait, no!"

Dylan chuckles at your loss, and prides himself in this petty victory. You cross your arms and pout.

"Now I wish Ruby was slamming me into walls again."

Dylan raises his brow.

"Wh… why?"

"Did you not… actually, you weren't there for the dance, huh? What happened to you, anyway? I didn't see you most of the night."

Dylan shrugs.

"I was around. You're not the most perceptive person around, Slater."

You shove your finger in his face.

"That is so wrong and you know it!"

Dylan sighs, pushing your finger away from him.

"Fine, you're not perceptive when you're not in combat."

You cross your arms and proudly nod.

"Thank you!"

Before your conversation can continue, team RWBY walks out of the building. You notice Ruby wearing a Beacon backpack, but you only assume that's for her supplies. The team approaches you two.

"So, what'd you guys get?" You ask.

"South-east sector. We're actually meeting our Huntsman and leaving now," Weiss answers.

You smile at Weiss, then turn your attention to Ruby as Dylan starts asking the rest questions. Ruby is looking at you smiling. You take a step closer and lean to her height so you're face to face.

"So you're heading out, huh?" You softly ask.

Ruby shakes her head to confirm.

"Yeah…"

You smirk, then peck her forehead.

"We can hang out after. I'll take you on a date. How does that sound?"

Ruby's smile grows wider at the thought.

"Now I'm not going to be able to focus on the mission," she jokes.

You chuckle, standing up then half turning to the rest of the group. As you look, you notice team CFVY walking into Beacon with a small group hovering around them. You shrug, knowing you'll probably talk with Coco later or something.

"So, you girls should get going," you pipe up. "Don't want to get your Huntsman mad at you already."

"Right, lets go team!" Ruby cheers. She wraps her arms around you and pulls you into a tight hug. "I'll miss you."

You snigger at her slight clinginess.

"Same here. Now get going."

The team leaves you and Dylan behind.

"So… you and Ruby?"

You wink at him in confirmation.

"Yeah, at the dance. She's… well, she needs some work in the girlfriend department, but I'll give her a break since it's her first, and she's young."

"How would you know what she needs work on?" Dylan asks as you both start walking away from the airpad.

You throw your arms behind your head and relax.

"Well, I did date someone before I came here, you know. Actually, it was right before I came here. Good ol' Rogue…" You start laughing. "Nah, she was cool. ORKD were cool people in general."

"ORKD?"

"Mhm. Onyx, Rogue, Kin, and Dior. My old friends. Dior's the one who made my glove, after all. Guy's a genius. I hope I see him again soon."

"Well," Dylan crosses his arms as he walks, keeping his entire posture very condensed and proper. "The Vytal Festival is coming up, soon. Perhaps they'll be coming to Beacon?"

"Oh, no doubt," you happily say. "I hope we get to fight them."

"Hm… speaking of which, are we going to be participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament? We aren't exactly a team," Dylan comments, pointing at you for a moment as he speaks.

You slide your hands off your head and into your pockets as you stare at the sky.

"I haven't thought of that… I'll have to ask Ozpin about it. I'm sure the son of the Headmaster has a few strings he could pull, huh?" You flash a smirk at Dylan.

As you both walk and talk another figure approaches you from the right. You both recognized the cloaked body instantly as Harrier Slater.

"Oh, hey uncle! Are you going on a mission too?" You ask with your trademark cheer.

Harrier nods.

"I will be. In fact, I want you two to accompany me."

"Us? Ms. Goodwitch sa-"

"This isn't an official Beacon mission," Harrier counters before Dylan can finish his point. "Besides, I want to see how you two do in battle. We leave tomorrow. I'll come for you two. Be ready to wake up early."

With that, Harrier takes his leave, his cloak swaying with each step. You slap your palm on your face, moaning.

"I don't wanna wake up," you cry.

"Perhaps… do you think we should train?"

You stop your charade and look to Dylan.

"Train? For what?"

"For the tournament!" Dylan shouts, fed up with your incompetence.

You laugh at his outburst, placing your hand on his shoulder.

"Man, I know how to push your buttons and I love it."

"I hate you," he says with no emotion.

You pat his shoulder before walking away.

"Come on, then. Lets train a bit."

You go to walk away, but you stop in your tracks. You look back to the airpad. RWBY is entering the bullhead with Ruby at the back. You smirk, coming up with an idea. You _**step**_ right in front of Ruby, planting a tender kiss on her lips, then _**step**_ back to Dylan's location. Dylan raises his brow.

"What did you just do?"

"Nothing," you quickly answer, walking away.

At the same time Ruby is completely red from your action, she squeals in joy and she jumps into the bullhead. Yang and Blake share a look, both smiling.

"He's alright," Yang admits, rolling her eyes.

"Weren't you cheering for them?" Blake inquires.

"Yeah, but now it's my responsibility to hate him. Better me than our dad."

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"He's being kept at Beacon," Mercury says, stretching his arms back as he watches Cinder pace around the room. "So at least we know he's not going anywhere."

"You're wrong," Adam counters, his voice echoing through the scroll in Cinder's hand. "My sources say that Harrier, Slater, and Dylan Brine are leaving the school tomorrow."

"The three of them?" Cinder questions. "That is…"

"It doesn't matter. I'll deal with all three of them. Cinder, if you can plant a homing beacon on him it will make this go smoothly."

"You're not worried about the odds?" Emerald brings up.

"The odds will be in his favour," Cinder cuts in. "But yes, I will plant something on him. But you better end his life."

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Neither you nor Dylan are comfortable at the moment. Usually you're fine with being somewhat close to Dylan, though only when it's in an attempt to bother him. In this situation, however, neither of you are fond of this position. Your head is slightly forced back from your body, just like Dylan. Your cheek is pressed in, your jaw pushed somewhat… just like Dylan. You both eye each other, battle hardened as ever. Your fists are jammed in each other's face, but neither of you are giving any ground. Eventually you both smile, releasing your fists and falling on the cold floor.

Your chests heave up and down as you both try and catch your breaths.

"I'd say… we're ready," you chuckle, staring up at the ceiling.

"In terms of one-on-one, yeah… I didn't expect… you to keep up… with my techniques…"

"Heh… yeah… you're definitely… better at hand-to-hand than… I… am. But, well… I'm a quick study," you chuckle between breaths.

"I can see… you… may be an idiot… but you're… no laughing matter… when… it comes to battle."

"I don't know… whether to thank you or not."

You push your torso up with your hands, then lock your arms to lean back on them.

"You're really good though, Dylan. I… I definitely want to fight you all out, one of these days."

"If only," Dylan starts, moving to the same position as you. "We could duel in the singles round. Alas… we can only train."

"Heh… yeah… maybe I should go visit Ozpin, now. I mean, this was all pointless if we're not in the tournament?"

"It's not like there's dangerous creatures of Grimm or anything," Dylan remarks.

"Was that some sass," you chuckle, getting to your feet. "I love when you let loose, Dylan. Makes me feel like I'm rubbing off on you."

Dylan gets to his feet, stretching his arms.

"Yeah, like I would eve-" Suddenly you _**leap**_ out of the room, leaving Dylan behind. "Ever… how did I ever become his friend?"

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You appear in Ozpin's office, already walking towards him.

"Ozpin I go-"

You're cut off when you bump into somebody and fall right on your butt. You rub your lower back.

"Ow… what was that…" You look up to see Ms. Goodwitch, one leg back to stabilize herself, and her eyes burning right into yours. "Oh… h-heya Ms. Goodwitch," you greet, leaning back a bit then flipping onto your feet. "What're you doing here?"

"I feel like we need to have a discussion about your Shadow Transmission."

"Didn't we already? Did we?" You place your hand under your chin as you ponder this. "I think we did."

"(Y/N)," Ozpin calmly says, gathering both yours and Glynda's attention.

You look to Ozpin's desk where Ozpin sits, and just beside the desk is General Ironwood.

"Ah, salute, General," you salute.

Ironwood tilts his head forward to acknowledge you. You smile back, then look to Ozpin.

"Yes, sir?"

"Why… are you here?"

Glynda moves back to Ozpin's side, eager to hear your reasoning for dropping by.

"Well," you look between all three of them. "I was wondering what will become of Dylan and I during the tournament? We aren't technically a team, but we… well more I, honestly… I REALLY wanna participate!" You say with pure joy, your thoughts racing with possibilities.

Ozpin snickers.

"Yes, we knew this was going to be brought up soon."

You raise your brow.

"You did?"

"Of course we did," Ironwood responds. "All the headmasters know you, Slater. So… we decided to… bend the rules this time around."

Your smile starts growing wider and wider in anticipation.

"You may participate in the four person round, but there will be no handicaps for you. You will be facing four people."

You eagerly nod.

"Totally fine with it! Oh, and…" You _**step**_ right beside Ozpin, leaning in to whisper. "This doesn't have anything to do with me being your kid, does it?"

"No."

You _**step**_ back to your original position, playing off what happened like it was nothing.

"Well, sounds awesome then. Thank you both, honestly," you say, looking between Ozpin and Ironwood.

"It's quite alright. I am eager to see how you do in the tournament against Atlas students," Ironwood comments.

You devilishly smirk.

"Oh, you know… I'm sure they'll do just fine as my warm-up."

You take a moment to think about what you just said; insulting a headmaster's students is probably unwise. You start nervously chuckling, taking very slow steps back.

"Regretting my decisions. Mouth, quiet. Mission failed, abort, abort!" You whisper loud enough for everyone to hear you.

You _**leap**_ out of the room, leaving the adults to themselves. Ozpin sighs, resting his head on his hand.

"And he's the star pupil?" Ironwood chuckles.

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It's been more than an hour since you made your tactical retreat from Ozpin's office. You have no idea where Dylan is, so now you need something to do until tomorrow. At the moment you're walking around Beacon looking for something to do. You do have an idea, however, but it's not very safe… not that anything you do is safe, but that's what makes it fun. However you manage to find someone who you can talk to.

"Oh, hey Coco!" You wave, jogging a few feet to catch Coco, who's walking the other way.

She stops in her tracks and turns to see you.

"Oh hey, if it's not the most popular person at Beacon," she exclaims, welcoming you warmly.

"Most… what are you talking about?" You chuckle, walking with her to a nearby building so you're not in the way of anyone else.

"Well, we get back here and I hear you nearly got killed! Everyone's been talking about it. I can't believe I missed it."

You rub the back of your head.

"Yeah… from past experiences you would have been there, somehow."

Coco shrugs.

"Maybe. But I ALSO heard," she leans in close, so close you can feel her cool breath tickling your cheek – it gives you shivers. "That one of us, not naming who, is now going out with our resident youngster."

You step back, shaking your head.

"Jeez, you don't have to say it like that, Coco. You make it sound weird."

Coco laughs.

"Well, it's true. Still, congrats. I wonder how Weiss took the news…"

"Weiss? Why would she care about me and Ruby?"

Coco is about to answer, but instead she resorts to a smile, looking at the innocent, oblivious person in front of her. Somehow you don't know Weiss liked you, even though she hinted it several times, it was noticeable, and she was one of the two girls who were most shaken by the news of your death. But if you couldn't figure out that Ruby liked you, you'd never piece together Weiss' feelings.

"Oh, no reason. So, whatcha up to? I was looking for something to do so I can blow off some steam."

"Not enough fun killing all those Grimm?" You counter with a sly smirk.

"Well… it was at first, but… when they just keep coming, it becomes less amusing and more tedious," she says with an underlying, sad tone.

You nod, understanding what she means.

"Yeah… well, you could walk and talk with me? Actually, you can help me pull of this plan I have!"

"Oh? What is it?"

Your only response is a wide smile.

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"Why did we allow him to do this?" Jaune asks, his arms crossed as he stares at you.

"Because it's awesome!" Nora answers.

"Because he got me curious about it too," Coco admits, leaning on her hip.

Coco, Velvet, JNPR, and other students stand on the sidelines as you set up your experiment. You have your weapons locker lying down on the ground so the rockets face the side. You're standing on it with your sword inside.

"Okay… so, test number one. Lets go!"

You click a few buttons on your scroll and the rockets come to life. It speeds forward, tearing apart the brinks in its path.

"No, no, NOPE!"

You manipulate your hand to call your sword to it. The force of the blade starts to lift the locker off the ground and into the sky. You release the pressure from your sword and enjoy the ride.

"YAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO" You shout, soaring through the air on the locker.

Students all over Beacon start watching you, whether they're Beacon students or not. Even the teachers who aren't away watch, though they're not as amused as the students. You put all your pressure on your toes, attempting to turn the makeshift flying device. It doesn't work, however, to your dismay. You puff your cheeks before using your glove to raise it a bit more, hoping the movement up can help you turn it to the side. Instead your sword pushes too much, and the locker starts to flip upside down.

"NO! STOP IT! NO!" You frantically screech, trying to keep your footing.

You fail, and you slide right off the locker. Since your sword is still attracted to your hand, the locker flips right around to aim at you. You fall from the sky, at least higher than the halfway mark of Ozpin's tower. Students all over watch, assuming you'll just teleport out of there. Unfortunately they overestimate your ability to think in crazy situations that don't involve combat. You fall… and fall… and fall. Eventually, and inevitably, you slam into the ground causing a small crater in the cement, sending debris all over the area. You cough a bit as you regain your bearings. It's not every day you fall from such a high point. You immediately remember the incoming locker and scurry away, using all your limbs to get your body out of there.

You barely manage to get yourself out of the way before the locker crashes into the ground, planting itself firmly in the ground. You stare at it for a moment… then start smiling.

"Ha… haha… that was awesome!" You scream, getting to your feet.

CFVY and JNPR run to your location, worried that you're actually hurt. Of course their worries disappear the moment they see you cheering about how amazing that was. But your fun is immediately killed when you hear heels click across the ground.

"Oh god why…"

The pieces of the ground start to move, solidifying your guess. You slowly turn around only to be met with solid smack by a riding crop. Your friends start to laugh at your punishment.

"What were you thinking?" Glynda scolds. "You could have hurt yourself or other students!"

You rub the red spot on your cheek.

"I don't know… I'm told I can't go on any missions, so I'm trying to find stuff to do."

"What am I going to do with you?" She sighs, rubbing her temple. "Just… I can't let you get off easy with this. Go to your dorm and stay there. No leaving until dinner."

You pout, tying your best to persuade Glynda.

"No. Go, now."

"Awwww, fine. But you have to admit, there's potential th-"

"Slater…"

"Going!"

You _**leap**_ out of the area, leaving Glynda and your friends at the now cleaned impact area. Glynda turns around and sees your friends.

"Did you encourage him?"

They all shake their heads.

"Did you even try to stop him?"

"With all due respect, I don't think we could," Pyrrha answers.

"I might have encouraged him," Coco pipes up.

Glynda rolls her eyes at Coco's response.

"Is he really in trouble?" Jaune asks with concern.

"I… no… he should be, but… I suppose we have driven him a little stir crazy. Damn him," she says under her breath.

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You toss and turn in your bed. You were driven crazy, being locked in your room all day, but you eventually just fell asleep for the night. Now it's the next morning and you can't find a way to go back to sleep. You kind of want to bother Dylan, but he's dead asleep and you'd feel bad. Part of you almost wants to take a walk and hope Weiss will come talk to you again like that one time, but that's not possible while her team is away. You huff, staring up at your ceiling. You just want Harrier to come get you so you can go do something. You haven't done anything since Aza, and… well that was a pretty big something, but being a Huntsman is all about being out in the field. Perhaps you're a little spoiled from moving around all the time, experiencing different teaching methods in different areas. It always kept things fresh. That's not saying you don't like Beacon. You have great friends, you have a… hopefully awesome girlfriend, you'll have to see how it turns out. But Beacon has been the best experience yet. Stability is something you need in your life, and Beacon has definitely delivered on that. Perhaps that's why you were acting so childish today.

"Gaaaah," you moan before _**leaping**_ out of the building.

You stand in front of the dorms. Sadly there's no rain, but you can still feel the chill since you're only in your sleeping boxers. You just realize that fact as you shiver.

"Huh… I guess I really am an idiot most of the time."

You take a few steps towards the airpad and stare out in the distance.

"Hope you're okay, Little Red… whatever you're doing out there."

From on top of a nearby building, Harrier watches you. He says nothing, thinks nothing. He simply observes. Once you turn back to your dorm and disappear in a haze of shadow he only lets out a "hmph."

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It's finally time. You, Dylan, and Harrier are heading towards a Bullhead pretty earlier in the morning. Not many students are awake yet, but the sun is still starting to come up. The only students who are awake are those who are preparing to head out on a mission. The three of you enter the Bullhead; you and Dylan take a seat while Harrier watches out the door. The Bullhead takes off, leaving Beacon behind.

"I'm surprised you woke up so easily, Slater," Dylan remarks.

"I was already awake," you coldly answer, crossing your arms and closing your eyes.

Dylan contorts his face at your actions. Something must be bothering you. As long as it doesn't get in the way of the mission, he won't worry about it. Dylan changes his gaze to Harrier, whose cloak his whipping around from the fast winds smacking the fabric. Harrier remains still, just… staring.

You pass by Vale, getting farther and farther away. Harrier then notices something odd. There's smoke coming from Vale, and a faint alarm can be heard. He doesn't react to it, and instead turns around, shutting the door as he leaves.

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes. It's not far."

"So what exactly are we doing?" Dylan asks.

"I have some intel that a high ranking member of the White Fang is travelling this route. I'm going to capture him."

"Know who it is?" Dylan asks again.

Harrier shakes his head.

"No… but I know he's important. If anything, you'll know who he is, Brine."

Dylan looks away, a rush of emotions slapping him in the face. Harrier smirks at the reaction.

"Don't be so touchy, Brine. I'm sure it'll all work itself out in the end. I have it all planned."

"If you have it planned, then why don't you know who you're capturing?" Dylan fires back, locking eyes with Harrier.

Harrier snickers.

"Well, there has to be some mystery to it."

The ride feels like forever, but you eventually reach a forested area with a path close by. Not far down the path is a small village, but it's not very populated due to the early time. The Bullhead lands on the outskirts of the path, just before it becomes too dense with trees. You, Dylan, and Harrier exit the Bullhead.

"Stay in the air. This won't be long," Harrier commands.

The Bullhead takes off, following Harrier's orders.

"Alright," Harrier starts, assuming the role of leader. "(Y/N), you keep an eye on the road. Dylan and I will take position in the forest."

"Right," you nod, looking for a good place to set up.

"Dylan, come with me."

Dylan and Harrier leave you and walk into the forest. Harrier leads Dylan straight, away from the path entirely. Dylan isn't sure what Harrier's plan is, but he seems to have it all figured out.

"Want to know something interesting, Dylan?" Harrier brings up, gaining the young Faunus' attention. "Did you know this cloak has a hood?"

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You sit in a nearby tree overlooking the path. You've been waiting for about three minutes, but not a single soul has traversed this path. You sigh, leaning your head on the branch behind you.

"Wonder what Dylan and Harrier are up to," you whisper to yourself.

As if you summoned them, Dylan flies out of the forest only to tumble across the ground. You turn around at the sudden noise; your eyes widen at the sight of your friend. You _**step**_ beside him in a kneeling position. You flip him onto his back, examining him. His eyes are closed and his breathing is slow. He's unconscious. A new figure steps out of the forest, this one being Harrier.

"Harrier, what happened to Dylan?"

"The White Fang. Well, those associated with the White Fang, anyway," Harrier answers, oddly calm in this situation.

"Associates? What are you talking about?"

"They're a pawn in the game. No… more likely a rook. Either way, they aren't behind it all."

You look up at Harrier, perplexed. You have no idea what he's talking to.

"I suppose, as much as I would prefer to avoid the term, I'm the queen – doing whatever I please to achieve the goal." A hand slips out from Harrier's cloak, grabbing onto the collar. His other hand takes off his glasses, though his eyes are closed. In one swift motion he throws off his cloak, revealing an exposed upper body, slick black pants, and a sabre attached to his right hip. He puts his glasses back on and looks at you.

"Fortunately, I get to be the one who entertains you this time around."

"Wha- Harrier? You're…"

"Not on your side, no. They promised me something much more interesting than Ozpin ever could," he smiles.

"So all this… was a trap…" It dawns on you. "Are there even White Fang coming."

Harrier shrugs.

"Perhaps. Not that it'll matter. Come, (Y/N). I want to see what all that training has done for you."

You grind your teeth at Harrier's words. You feel betrayed. You feel like a fool for falling for his trap. You could tell Glynda had something against Harrier, and perhaps this is it. But… why would they allow him to stay at Beacon if they knew he was working for the enemy? You aren't sure. The only thing you know if you have to get Dylan out of here, and you have to fight your uncle. You look up to the sky, trying to lock onto the Bullhead. Once you see if you _**leap**_ yourself and Dylan there.

"Get Dylan back to Beacon, now!"

"What about you and the other guy?" The pilot asks.

"We'll… find our own way back. Now go!"

You _**leap**_ back to your battleground, Harrier eagerly awaiting you. The Bullhead flies off, leaving you and Harrier alone.

"So, looks like the kids are all gone," you say, wiping your hands together as you slowly take steps towards Harrier. "I prefer it this way.

Harrier crosses his arms.

"Didn't you learn not to do everything on your own?"

"Well, maybe… but…" You flash your trademark smile. "Like to keep these things in the family, you know? The whole 'crazed uncle' thing is my responsibility."

"Hmph… I'm as sane as ever. People would call you crazy for going up against a legendary Huntsman like me," he remarks.

You chuckle.

"That a self-proclaimed title?"

"No – one given to me." He extends his hands to the side. "I suppose others aren't as idiotic as you."

You laugh, unsheathing your blade and twirling your wrist.

"You know, I hope this is a challenge. Would be a shame if you were beaten so easily."

"Heh… that's the difference." Harrier pushes his glasses up more. "You hope this is a challenge, where I know this won't even be a warm up."

You smirk, happy that your uncle can trade words with you on equal footing.

"Whatever you say, uncle. I just hope you don't hurt your back with this fight," you comment, walking towards him.

Harrier closes his eyes and snickers.

"I can't wait to watch you crumble. To watch all your stupid jokes fall apart and reveal a broken man."

You lightly drag the side of your sword across the ground as you sprint at Harrier.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that!"

The only movements he makes is sliding his right foot in a quarter circle backwards. You leap forward and bring your sword down on him, using both arms to do maximum damage. He doesn't dodge, however. Harrier raises his left hand, palm open. Your sword cuts through his fingers, burying itself down his forearm and stopping. Still in the air, your eyes widen. You cut right through him, and he doesn't seem to care. Harrier smirks. He clenches his right fist and drives it into your gut.

You've never felt a punch like this before. Your eyes nearly roll back into your head, a mixture of saliva and blood spew from your mouth, and you lose all air in your lungs. Harrier holds you in place with his right fist as he retracts his left. The split hand starts to mold itself back together until it reforms into a fist. Harrier delivers a powerful punch to your cheek, sending you flying back. You bounce across the grass several times before landing near the dirt road, losing your sword at some point during that time. You attempt to stand up, but fall right onto your side, clutching your stomach. You feel like he's just ripped the air right out of lungs. You roll from side to side as you desperately attempt to fill your lungs with air.

"What, is that really all you have?" Harrier taunts.

You grind your teeth at his words. You get to your feet, taking deep breaths to recover. You spot your sword in between yourself and Harrier. You have a plan.

"No… just… warming up," you retort, still recovering.

You sprint towards Harrier, to which he chuckles at. You lean to the side and swipe your weapon from the ground. You leap off the ground and rush directly at him. He's about to counter, but you _**step**_ behind him. You keep your momentum as you fly past him, slicing his stomach. His eyes widen, blood flows out of his mouth. You slide across the ground, spinning to face him, and are surprised at the sight. He's… bleeding.

 _Did his aura not protect him?_

Harrier's upper body starts sliding diagonally down his body, showing how you cut him. You shrug, then sheathe your weapon.

"I guess… I win?" You state, though not exactly sure if you're right or not.

His upper body nearly falls right off… but Harrier smiles.

"Did you think it would be THAT easy?"

Harrier's arms grab hold of his torso and legs, respectively. He slides his body back to normal, then his skin starts to mold back together like nothing happened. You can't believe what you just saw. He was split in two, and he just put himself back together like it was nothing.

"Talk about piecing yourself back together," you remark, blinking twice at the sight.

"Jet and I have the same semblance, remember? Though… mine's far more potent now than back when Jet was alive. I wish he could have seen the potential." Harrier grabs the hilt of his sword but doesn't draw it. "Come, now. Make me need to use my blade."

You roll your shoulders, loosening up a bit more.

"Alright, I will. But don't be mad at me if you get a crick in your neck."

You _**step**_ behind Harrier and swing your sword diagonally. He slips right out of the way, moving beside you. You continue your attack and slice him, but he dodges that too. You twist your wrist and lunge at him, stabbing him right through. Harrier smiles, placing his hand on yours.

"Try. Harder."

He palms your face, catching you off guard. You fly away, smashing into one of the trees along the forest's edge. You rub the back of your neck as you look back at him, wincing. Harrier is standing still with your sword through his gut as if it was a, everyday occurrence. You get up and crack your knuckles.

"You mind if I have that back?" You politely ask, extending your hand.

Harrier looks down at it and recoils with surprise.

"Oh, right… you hit me. I suppose it would only be fair."

He pulls the sword right out of him and tosses it at you. You catch it, watching the wound heal right up.

 _So he's able to recover from wounds like that… there has to be a limit to it though. But he's fast. I'll have to find a way to catch him off guard. Maybe…_

You _**step**_ in front of Harrier, but to his surprise you _**step**_ behind him. You don't stop there, however. You continue to _**step**_ all around him in quick succession. Such rapid uses of your Shadow Transmission starts to build up. The shadow that's left behind every time is becoming a hindrance to Harrier's sight. He smiles at the plan.

"Clever… and since it's in such a short area it's not using too much of his aura, though still a decent amount," he whispers to himself.

You repeatedly _**step**_ around Harrier until it's time to strike. You appear behind him and attack. He knows you're there and turns around to counter, throwing a punch. When it connects, you're not there anymore. You _**step**_ beside him with momentum already built up, and cut right through his arm, just past his shoulder. You break through the shadow you created, and Harrier's arm follows a moment after. Soon enough the shadow disappears, leaving a dismembered Harrier standing where it was once shrouded. He looks at his arm, gushing with blood. He turns is attention to you, bowing his head.

"Clever maneuver. But…"

Harrier's arm starts to… mold. The bleeding section stops gushing blood, and instead bone, veins, muscle, and skin start to grow out of the wound in the shape of his arm. The dismembered arm on the ground turns grey, then dissipates to dust. You watch in horror and shock as Harrier casually regrows a new arm. Once done, Harrier clenches his fist a few times, then rolls his shoulder.

"Hm… you know, this one doesn't feel the same. I suppose I'll just have to…" In a flash, he's in front of you, staring down at you menacingly through his glasses. "Break it in."

He grabs your face with his left arm, catching you completely by surprise. You attempt to free your face with your arm, but Harrier quickly puts a stop to that by burying his fist into your stomach, making you cough up another mixture of saliva and blood. He lets go of your face just to deliver a solid uppercut to the jaw, to straight punches to your stomach, then connects an elbow, sending your face away from it. Harrier extends his arm behind your head, flips his wrist, and catches the back of your skull only to bring it down on his knee twice, hard. The second time he lets go, allowing you to hover in the air for a moment from the impact. He slides two fingers from his left hand under your chin to hold you in place. Your eyes are closed, your body is twitching, and it's obvious that your aura is taking all your pain for you. Harrier intends to change that. He opens his fight palm and slams it into your stomach.

You're forced away from him, hovering atop the ground for most of the time until you tumble onto the soft dirt and grass. You barely manage to catch yourself, slamming your hand into the ground as you grind to a halt. You keep one eye closed as you stare at Harrier, breathing hard.

"You hit hard… for an old man" you backhandedly compliment, your voice strained. You notice you dropped Crimson Blaze at Harrier's feet during his assault, so you're weaponless. "But…" You push off your knee and get to your feet. "I haven't even gotten started yet."

"Neither have I."

You rush at Harrier, _**stepping**_ to him mid run. You throw a punch from the side, which he casually absorbs with his palm. You _**step**_ in from of him, midair, and throw a kick. He blocks it with his forearm. _**Step**_ beside him and attempt a sweep, but he simply lifts the closest leg. _**Step**_ behind him and go for a roundhouse, but before it connects you _**step**_ above him, spin forward and attempt to drive your heel onto his head. He raises both arms and catches your heel between the two, holding your attack with no effort.

"Tsk."

You attempt another move, but Harrier latches onto your foot with his right hand, pulls your leg down and to the side, grabs your right arm with his left, then brings his right arm up to drive your face into the ground. Your lower body hands up from the impact as Harrier smirks at the attack. He latches onto your face, tosses you just above him, and throws a punch. However the punch flies through shadow. Before he can react your foot delves into his cheek, landing a very solid blow. He stumbles to the side but quickly regains his bearings. He turns to face you as you grab your sword, smiling.

"Looks like you're getting slow, old timer. Need a break?" You confidently ask.

Harrier stretches his neck.

"You hit like a child."

You pout at his remark.

"Using my age insults against me. What a copycat."

"Coming from the boy using his father's sword. You don't even know the potential of that blade," Harrier remarks, grabbing hold of his sabre and finally releasing it for the battle.

You get into a stance, ready for anything he might throw at you.

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Team RWBY sits at the edge of the air pad, staring out at Vale. After the disaster that was the "Breach," the team is ready for some rest and relaxation. Ruby is especially excited for the date you promised her, but it is still relatively early in the morning. Everyone knows it's unlikely for you to be up. With some final words, the team starts to head back to their dorms for the previously mentioned rest they deserve. As they're walking, a Bullhead lands on the air pad. They notice it, and stop walking to see which team has come back from their mission. The side door opens and two people start two walk out.

"Hey… isn't that…" Weiss starts, squinting to get a better view.

Blake can see clearly, and she starts running towards the Bullhead.

"Blake! Wait!" Ruby calls out before running after her.

The rest of RWBY follows suit. At the Bullhead, the driver is carrying an unconscious Dylan Brine out.

"What happened?" Blake shouts.

The pilot shrugs, honestly unsure.

"He was given to me. I was told to come back here with him."

Not far away, Glynda sees the ordeal and makes a b-line towards the Bullhead.

"What's the meaning of this? Wha- Dylan?"

With all the commotion, Dylan's eyes start to open. The pilot lays him down so he can wake at his own pace. The moment Dylan starts to feel, he cringes, holding his side.

"Ah… I…"

"Mr. Brine, what happened?" Glynda inquires in a stern tone.

It takes a moment for Dylan to recognize what happened and where he is. The second he does, his eyes flair open.

"(Y/N)!" He shouts. "I need to see Ozp- Ah," he clutches his side once more.

Without a second through, Glynda messages Ozpin with her scroll before asking any more questions.

"(Y/N)? What happened to (Y/N)?" Ruby asks, worry laced in her words.

Dylan gets to his feet, Blake and Yang supporting him on either side. In moments Ozpin shows up, approaching from behind Glynda.

"Ozpin! You need to come right now!" Dylan desperately shouts.

"What's wrong, Dylan? Where's (Y/N)?"

Dylan takes a second to breath, allowing his thoughts to come together. He exhales before speaking again.

"Harrier…" Glynda's body tenses at the very mention of his name, and what Dylan may be implying. "He… lured us away. We have to go, now! (Y/N)… he's not gonna beat him!"

"What?" Yang questions.

Dylan looks at Ozpin with fear.

"He's going to die, Ozpin! Harrier… he's not the only one there! We have to go, NOW!"

Ozpin remains silent, both hands clutching the head of his cane. Though he appears neutral on the outside, a silent rage is burning on the inside.

"Glynda, come with me. Dylan, you stay here with team RWBY," he commands, stepping into the Bullhead.

Dylan shakes his head.

"N-No way! I'm coming!"

"Yeah, we're coming too!" Yang says with conviction.

Ozpin stares into the eyes of his students. All five have a will to come with him, to see (Y/N) safely home. Ozpin sighs.

"Very well. Get in, quickly."

The seven of them pile into the Bullhead as the pilot gets in his seat. The Bullhead roars to life and takes off instantly. Dylan takes a seat, grabbing his scroll and opening it. Thanks to them being on the same team, Dylan can monitor your aura levels. Ruby, Ozpin and Glynda look over his shoulder to check. You're at 60% and dropping.

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You tumble back, rolling over your shoulder and stopping. Harrier goes for another attack, but you _**step**_ behind him to gain the upper hand. In a split second he turns around and blocks your strike, a screech of metal on metal being the only sound in the area. You're both standing on the dirt path, a fair distance away from where you once were – closer to the village but still some distance away.

You're evidently showing strain and difficulty while colliding with Harrier, while Harrier is as calm and docile as ever. He pushes back, forcing you to bend your knee and get lower to the ground. He takes this opportunity to kick your ribs, crippling your position. Your stance weakens, allowing Harrier to push through your defense and get a solid hit across your chest. You fall right onto the ground from the attack, completely open. Harrier spins his sabre around and prepares to finish you with one fatal stab. He pushes the sword down to pierce your heart, but you _**step**_ above him and slice down as gravity pulls you, decapitating Harrier Slater.

His head rolls across the dirt ground and his glasses fall of his head. His body remains immobile for a time. You leap back, taking deep breaths.

"Did I… do it?"

His body stands up straight, turning to face you even without a head. You recoil, contorting your face.

"EEEEWW!" You shiver.

The body turns away and walks to his glasses. Harrier's head starts to reform, similar to his arm. Even his hair returns exactly the way it was before. He picks up his glasses and puts them on before opening his eyes.

"Perhaps now you understand you can't beat me?"

"Did you… let me hit you?" You question.

"Of course I did. Every hit you've gotten on me I've allowed."

This comment immediately ticks you off.

"You were toying with me this entire time!" You shout.

Harrier smiles, sheathing his sabre.

"I told you, this isn't even a warm up to me." Harrier looks towards the edge of the forest around him. "But, I'd say our time is up."

"What? No way, I'm not done yet!" You argue, getting in a stance to battle again.

"Your tenacity is charming, but futile. There's absolutely nothing you can do to me. Besides, someone else wants to the chance to end you."

You lower your guard at his words, pondering who this other person is. On cue, a couple dozen White Fang exit the forest, remaining on the edge. You ready yourself once more as you see the pour out of your surroundings. You note where every one of them is so you can deal with them accordingly, but… oddly enough they do nothing more than show themselves. Only one passes the border, and he looks different from the rest. A man with a unique mask and different clothing – a black jacket and pants, red and brown hair that's spiked backwards, and a sheathed blade in his hands.

He keeps his gaze on you, the fatigued (Y/N) Slater.

"Seems the tracker worked," Harrier states, taking out a small, flashing piece of technology out of his pants pocket.

"It did indeed," Adam answers with little emotion.

Harrier crushes the technology in his hand and throws it in the dust.

"I promised you could have him, so go for it."

Adam walks past Harrier onto the dirt path. You keep locked on him.

 _This guy… he feels different… I can't let down my guard._

"Hey, so, we were having quality family time," you remark, placing your hand on your hip and completely lowering your guard. "It's pretty rude to interrupt like you did. I mean, you even brought uninvited guests," you preach, gesturing to the gang around you.

"You're not funny," Adam coldly speaks.

You place your hand on your chest, absolutely hurt.

"That… hurts more than any blade could. So, for hurting me with words," you point your sword at Adam. "I shall hurt you with this. Seems you're getting the better deal, honestly."

Adam turns his body, placing a hand on his hilt.

"Come on, you disgusting Slater."

"You… know he's a Slater too… You know what? Whatever, lets just get to the part where I beat you so I can get back to my uncle issues."

Both you and Adam charge each other, though he keeps his blade sheathed the entire time. You both leap off your back leg and clash in the air. He unsheathes his blade for the moment your blades hit. The momentum turns you both around to face each other, and you both attack again. You're pushed away from one another, landing smoothly across the ground. Adam doesn't give you any time, as he changes his sheathe into a gun that fires at you. You lean out of the way, looking back at Adam in an insulted manner. You shake your head at him, almost disappointed, before _**stepping**_ closer to him.

He spins around and attacks, to which you parry the blade and attack. He barely dodges and manages to get a hit on your stomach. In retaliation you flick your blade at him hilt first. It bounces off his mask, to which you then grab it in reverse-grip style with your opposite hand and cut him down. Adam slides away, still combat capable. You flip your sword back to your proper hand.

"You're really good, I must say. But… I notice that you're sword is red, and mine is black. I'd say it's only fair that we're the same."

You grab the blade and squeeze, allowing blood to flow out of your hand. You return your hilt to your hand so the blood can flow on the blade, matching Adam's colour.

"See, now we're even!" You smile.

You hold your blade back, charging it, then slash the air releasing a massive and visible red sonic wave directly at Adam. Adam sheathes his sword, then, when the wave is about to his, he releases a portion of the sword to block the attack. You notice his sword, clothes, and even hair glows when he does this. You stay on guard since you have no idea what this means. To your surprise, the attack is almost absorbed by Adam. He sheathes his blade, then swings it, sending a similar attack right back at you. Your eyes widen cartoonishly when you see the attack, and you quickly send another sonic wave back at him. The two waves collide, exploding in a massive display of power that makes everyone, save Harrier, struggle to stay stationary. Trees shake, and the dirt on the road takes cover in its grassy neighbor. But when the smoke clears, you and Adam are right in the middle battling once again.

 _I don't want to use all my strength against this guy. I need to take him down fast so I have enough for Harrier._

You tilt your head to the side to avoid a stab, then _**step**_ closer to the ground to avoid a slice. You bury both hands into the dirt and thrust your heel into Adam's chin, sending the young man soaring into the air. You get back on both your feet, then _**step**_ up to him. You slash him twice before falling back to the ground. You _**step**_ to him again, kicking him farther up, then falling again. You continue this pattern of _**stepping**_ and hitting until he's high in the sky. You _**step**_ past him this time, hovering some distance above him. Your blood flows faster into your sword, extending its length immensely.

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Ruby is now holding Dylan's scroll, watching and shivering every time your aura shaves off. You're currently under 50%.

"Um… sir…"

Ozpin moves to the cockpit, staring forward and seeing a large, red blade in the distance.

"We're on the right track. Just hold on, (Y/N)."

Dylan remains agitated in the Bullhead, tapping his heel on the ground every second. Blake calmingly places her hand on his.

"It's alright. We'll get there."

"No, you don't understand," Dylan shakes his head. "He's there, Blake. Adam…" Blake's eyes widen at the news. "And he's not the only one… I want to be confident in Slater, but… he doesn't stand a chance."

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With your blade elongated enough you thrust it down, piercing Adam's body. The force pushes him towards the ground while you and your blade follow. The tip of the blade is already burying itself further and further into the ground the closer you get. Adam coughs up blood and screams as he falls to his impending doom. Once you get close enough to the ground, you throw the sword to Adam so the guard pushes against his clothing. Adam crashes on the ground with a large explosion of dust and blood. No longer having a source for blood, your sword returns to its normal state. You _**step**_ beside Adam, back to him as you look at him from the corner of your eye.

You finish your pose and grab your sword from Adam's stomach to sheathe it. You're breathing hard, as that took more out of you than you'd have liked. You look to Harrier, displaying the dying Adam.

"Can we get to it now?" You comment with a smile.

"Heh… hehehe," Adam chuckles, his voice gurgling with blood.

You look down at him, curious.

"What?"

"I see… you've tired yourself… I would even go as far… to say…" Adam's body suddenly explodes like a mirror, pieces of his body shattering as they touch the ground. You leap back, unsure of what just happened. "That you actually could have killed me," Adam finishes as he walks out from behind Harrier.

You clench your teeth at his presence. You put a lot into that attack to finish Adam, and it was all useless. But he's not the only one who reveals himself. You feel someone's presence behind you. It's familiar, but new to the current situation. You look behind you and see a small, multi hair coloured, adorable girl. Neo twirls her umbrella and smiles at you with her cutsie adorableness that you just want to faun over right now. But it would be inappropriate, and might now go well with her accomplices. Instead, you just give her a quick wink, which she acknowledges.

You look back to Harrier and Adam as they start moving. Adam moves to your right, almost paralleling Neo's position. Harrier moves directly in front of you. A triangle with you in the middle.

"Heh… you know, I do like odds and all, but this seems a little unfair. Fun, don't get me wrong, but unfair."

"Funny how you, human, talk about fair," Adam counters. "But it doesn't matter. You're about to die."

"Ha, please," you wave off. "No way I'm going to die. As an official Slater," you regally position your hand on your chest. "I am… how would one say it… ah, I know…" You clear your throat. "Slaters gonna slate," you end with a smile.

Though you don't see it, Neo can't help but smirk at your ridiculous quote. She can almost respect that you're taking such a serious situation so lightly. It's what you did when you faced her, and you ended up winning. She remembers its 1-0, and she's hoping to change that up right now. She would prefer to even it out with just you and her, but she knew she had to be the one in this fight. She has to be the final blow that takes you down.

"I can't wait to shut you up."

"Well then," you twirl your sword around in a stylish display, finishing by pointing the tip at Adam. "Come do it… if you can."

The air goes silent. Nobody even seems to breathe. Even the spectators of the White Fang are eager to see how this develops. Adam, Neo, and Harrier all keep their eyes on you, watching to see if you make any movements. You keep smiling at Adam, but…

 _This… is bad. I can act tough all I want, but… this isn't good. Neo is at least equal to me, same as Adam, though it seems he was holding back against me. I was too, to be fair, but I don't know the extent of his abilities. Harrier… well, I have no idea how to beat him, and he outmatches me in every regard. So I have two people equal to me, and one person whose leagues above me. Three on one… I… I can't even_ _ **leap**_ _out of here. If I tried they would cut me down in a second. I have to fight, even if this is a losing battle… Heh… you owe me one, Dylan._

You slide your foot the slightest bit, causing the three to rush at you. Neo and Adam collide in the middle, but you're no longer there. You're in the air, looking down at your original position. Once the dust clears you realize Harrier isn't there. Before you can look for him you feel a foot drive into your neck, sending you right back to the ground. Before you can even connect with the dirt, Neo jumps, spins, and kicks your spine, abruptly sending you in a completely different direction. You manage to catch yourself before you hit the ground. You spin around and land on your feet, grinding against the dust as you slide closer to the village.

Adam switches to his gun, firing at you. You deflect each bullet, but you know this is just a distraction. Harrier and Neo are approaching from either side to attack. After seven bullets, Adam stops and allows his comrades to attack. Neo extends the blade from her umbrella while Harrier tightly grips his sword. Both slash at you, passing by each other as they do so. You manage to hop back, land on your back foot, and burst forward to slash them both. You assume you got them, but as your sword cuts through the figures they shatter to glass. Before you can even react to what happened, Neo's heel comes down on your head, slamming it against the ground. Swiftly she slides her foot under your forehead and flips backwards, kicking you back into the air. Harrier leaps up and slices you, but you manage to _**step**_ into a different position, though still in the air. Almost immediately after you appear, Adam shoots you, hit bullet hitting your shoulder which flips you over your right shoulder into a series of spins you can't stop. You crash across the ground and slide to a halt.

You huff, getting back to your feet but obviously tuckered. You look up at the three who are standing in a line, slowly approaching you. You smile, halfheartedly chuckling.

"Well… I was asking for a challenge," you say, mentally slapping yourself for it. "Guess this is what I get."

You grip your sword tightly and rush at the three, hoping to do something.

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Tears quietly stream down Ruby's face as she watches your meter. What makes it worse is the picture above it – one of you smiling and happy. She can't imagine what you're going through right now. Dylan and Weiss look at the screen, and almost immediately regret it. Your aura is chipping away fast.

45%

42%

40%

35%

Whatever is happening to you… you're being beaten, just like Dylan predicted. It makes every anxious that they can't do anything to help. The Bullhead is going as fast as it can… you just have to hold on.

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You fly into one of buildings, crashing against the wall as the impact leaves cracks in the cement. Screaming erupts from the village as they try their best to stay away from your battle, but you can't do anything to help them. You're absolutely on the defensive, and to use the sword defensive is giving you credit.

You lay against the wall for a moment, but quickly react when Adam attempts to stab right through you. His blade pierces the wall, but you're behind him about to deliver a powerful kick. You hit his head, but it shatters to glass. You instantly push your kicking foot against the wall and leap off, just avoiding Adam's second attack that cuts through the building. He turns around to follow your movements as you soar into the air.

Harrier leaps towards you and attacks. You match his, your swords colliding as you meet, then you spin around and clash again, which separates the two of you. From above Neo attempts to kick you, but you catch her attack and throw her back to the ground. She lands easily and looks up at you as you resume combatting Harrier mid-air. Sparks and screeches erupt from your location as the two Slaters do battle. Thankfully you manage to win this little bout by _**stepping**_ behind Harrier and kicking him to the ground. You land, then immediately start flipping backwards to avoid Adam's bullets.

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27%

23%

Yang clenches her fists, letting everyone hear the stretching of fabric.

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You lie on the ground, panting. Harrier grabs your foot, spins around, and throws you into the air. Within that second he grabs his sword and sends to sonic waves at you. They hit, flinging your body around at the impact. You barely manage to recover, but Adam fixes that by coming down on you, cutting down between your shoulder and neck. This brings you all the way back to the ground, crashing through a building.

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17%

14%

Glynda's grip on her clothing tightens.

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Adam cuts an X on your chest then shoots in the middle. You slide across the ground and attempt a counter attack, but Harrier comes from the side, clotheslining you with his blade.

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9%

5%

Ozpin remains steady, prepared to release his fury.

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You barely stand in front of your three opponents as they watch you struggle. Your muscles are shaking to keep you up, but you won't let yourself fall. You're desperately gasping for air to keep your body going. You grip Crimson Blaze as tightly as you can and sprint towards the three with your blade at your side. You _**step**_ in front, behind, then in front of Harrier, and manage to cut through his chest. You spin around and kick his torso at Neo, catching the small woman off guard for you attack Adam without any distractions.

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4%

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You and Adam clash, putting everything you have into overpowering the other. Adam smirks, then ducks. Neo hops over Adam and drives her feet right into your stomach, knocking you back. Adam quickly follows up with a slice to your stomach.

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2%

Ruby squeezes the scroll so tightly that it could snap at any moment.

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Harrier, now back together, grabs the back of your neck and throws you across the village into another building. You trip out of the hole, falling onto your hands and knees. Harrier comes from above, ready to cut you in half. You barely _**step**_ in time, appearing in the middle of the village. Adam sees this and rushes you, throwing his blade forward to stab you.

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"No…" Ruby chokes.

0%

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You hold your left hand in front of you, attempting to _**step**_ … but you don't. Adam's blade pierces through your left hand, cutting through the glove. Your eyes widen in pain, unknown to the fact you were so low on aura. Adam smiles at the development, where Neo… frowns.

You crack your voice as you stare down Adam, absolutely furious at your state. With nothing more you can do, you slam your foot into his stomach, getting him away from you and pulling the blade out of your hand. Blood trickles down your hand, plopping on the dirt road below you. Before you can even come to terms with your injury, Adam attacks again at a breakneck speed, sheathing his blade after each hit. Cuts form around your body, two on your right leg, a few through your jacket on your stomach, and the final hit comes from Harrier as he dashes in front of you, spins, and puts an ample amount of force into his kick. He connects with your left arm.

You hear a snap.

You feel the break.

You experience the pain.

Harrier's attack sends you flying, releasing Crimson Blaze mid-flight. You skid across the dirt road onto the nearby grass just outside the village, tumbling over your body so you lie face first in the dirt.

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"NO!" Dylan shouts, seeing your aura is completely gone. "I'm not waiting anymore!"

Dylan jumps out of the Bullhead, creating a surface of water to stand on. He flies forward faster than the Bullhead can.

"Don't you die, (Y/N)! I won't allow it!"

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You try to contain your screaming, but the pain is so excruciating. The pulsing of each injury builds up to an extent you can't fathom. You've been spoiled with aura, and now that it's gone you have to feel the pain you've been saved from for so long. You can't even move your left arm. It's completely numb. You slam your right hand on the ground, shakily pushing your upper body off the ground.

"I… is this… even with Aza, I didn't think… but now…" You look up at Neo, Adam, and Harrier, your vision blurry. "Am I… going… to die?"

You clench your teeth, your voice cracking in pain as you push yourself up as much as you can… only to fall back on the ground.

"Argh…"

You heavily pant, trying to get your body somewhat combat ready. Then it dawns on you… you don't have your blade. You look to ahead of you and see your sheath just in reach. You reach for the sheath, your fingers shaking as they inch closer to the object. Your fingers graze over it, bringing it ever closer to your grasp. Once it's in your hand, you use it as an aid to get yourself on your feet. You push off the ground with the help of your sheath and stumble into a pathetic excuse for a stance. Your arm limply hands from your body, blood dripping down your finger as electricity ruptures from your broken glove. In fact, most of your body has blood trailing down from it, due to Adam's attacks. In spite of this you chuckle, raising your sheath towards them.

"Is that… all you got?"

 _Sorry… I couldn't take you on that date… Ruby…_

"Lets finish this," Adam demands.

"It won't be much of a challenge at this point," Harrier comments, sheathing his blade. "You two can end this," he remarks as he makes his way back to his cloak.

Adam and Neo rush at you, crisscrossing paths sporadically so you can't get a read on them, not that you could do much in your current state anyway. Adam leaps forward, ready to attack. You do your best to get a defensive position, but the moment he's about to reach you he pulls back, letting Neo go ahead. As you originally planned with Adam, you leap over Neo just in time to avoid her attack. Adam doesn't expect thing, so you get the advantage when you land on him, pushing his body to the ground. You fumble a bit, your leg not being able to take your full weight, which gives Neo the chance to kick the side of your head and get you off Adam. She opens her umbrella and twirls it around, making it difficult to even get a read on her. You try your best, but she manages to retract it and hit you once.

That's when you feel it - a sharp pain in your chest, and Neo's now standing in front of you. She looks up at you, her eyes most white. She almost looks… concerned, despite the fact that her blade is the one piercing through your body. You chuckle, blood rolling down your mouth as you do so.

"I guess… you one-uped me, huh? Little miss… adorable…" You barely manage to say. "Well… I suppose it's not too bad… getting to see you before I die, huh? Heh…" You cringe in pain as she pulls her blade out. "I… didn't think… it'd be like… this…"

You fall back, eyes closed, taking your last breath. Neo watches as you lay motionless on the ground. Her eyes change to brown and pink as she smiles at your body. Adam approaches your body beside Neo.

"One more strike wouldn't hurt," Adam comments as he readies to stab you once more.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

A strong blast of air hits Adam and Neo, forcing them to retreat a short ways back. Dylan lands just in front of your body, separating it from them. Harrier notices Dylan as he walks back, now cloaked, and chuckles. Dylan raises his fists, Zephyr Shale shining brightly.

"Dylan, you traitor. I thought this was something you want. Why are you defending Slater?"

Dylan shakes his head, his eyes sharp as ever.

"No… I'm defending my friend."

"It's best if we make our leave. Reinforcements will be here momentarily," Harrier comments, assuming position beside Neo.

"You aren't going anywhere! I'll end this right here!"

Dylan starts punching at them, sending wave after wave of pressurized air at the three. Harrier's cloak whips around from the air, but he doesn't move.

"Neo."

In a flash, Harrier, Adam, and Neo disappear, leaving Dylan alone. His breathing calms somewhat now that they're gone. With them gone, he immediately turns to you and kneels down, examining your body. Your clothes are ruined, your body is littered with injuries, and you have one specific hole in your chest.

"Come on, (Y/N)! Wake up!" Dylan shouts as he rests his head against your chest.

He doesn't hear breathing. Before he can act on this the Bullhead lands nearby, and Ruby bursts out right to you.

"(Y/N)! I…" Ruby covers his mouth, shocked at your current state. She has no words, and simply starts crying.

Ozpin and the rest of the gang run to your side, shocked at your current state. Glynda clenches her fist.

"Harrier… you bastard…"

Ozpin shakes his head.

"Dylan, can you bring us back to Beacon?"

Dylan nods.

"I can, but not all of us."

"Very well, come, we'll go now. Glynda take the res-"

"I'm coming!" Ruby declares, full of conviction and tears.

Ozpin and Ruby share a glance that is only distrupted by Dylan's words.

"I can hold the four of us, its no problem."

Ozpin nods.

"Very well. Glynda, take the rest of RWBY and secure the area. Make sure no Grimm attack this village."

Glynda acknowledges his words and takes the rest of the girls away. Dylan forms a water platform under you, Ozpin, Ruby, and himself. He lifts off and speeds away. Ruby stays with you, holding you in her arms, praying you'll be okay.

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You're laying on a bed the medical wing with Ruby by your side. Her heads resting on your bed as she sleeps. Nobody is awake to see the window of your room open. Neo dances in, walking around as she usually does. She sees you on the bed and pouts. She slips a note out of her pocket and rests the folded paper between her lips. She lets it out, leaving lip marks on that paper. With everything ready, Neo approaches you and slips the note into your pants for safe keeping. She winks at your unconscious form before hopping out the window.

She got the final blow. You're even now.

 **And that's the chapter. Looks like someone has an adorable ally/rival. Isn't that just great? Honestly I had a ton of fun writing this chapter. I've have this plan for a long time, and finally seeing it written is amazing. I hope you all liked it as much as I do. I know it's been a while, what with Project's Past November and all, but it was only fair since you guys got a whole month of Crimson Shadow. The scheduling will go back to normal, so you'll be getting one or two chapters of this every month, depending.**

 **Oh, and just to clear up future confusion, the next chapter will start before that final scene with Neo. Why? Because that's how I'm doing it. I'll make another reminder next chapter, but just keep that in mind.**

 **So, someone asked me in the reviews where my inspiration for the blood powers and attitude came from. It was a guest, so you, Mr. Projector, will have your answer. It might interest everyone too. Who knows. Anyway, the blood powers were absolutely original on my part. Maybe there's somewhere in some sort of fiction what does something similar, but if so I've never seen it. Heck, you guys haven't even seen what Slater and Jet can do with Crimson Blaze. I've been hiding its potential for a while. Which… technically means that you have been holding back this entire time, but remember, those abilities drain you quick. Not your aura, but your life. You have to use it sparingly, or as a last resort. As for his personality? Well, in my original draft of Slater, which I used in the end, you used jokes and idiocy to hide the pain and trauma you was experiencing, which I've already shown earlier in the story. But you've been like that for most of your life, so you continue to be that way. It's something that you all have to remember. This story… this version of you, it is supposed to be you, but not. Obviously most of you don't act this way in real life, but I always imagine that if you or I grew up the exact same way Slater did, then we might have been like him. You know what I mean? This isn't you, but how you might have been. I got off topic, actually. Yes, I did base his personality off some jokers, such as Dante from Devil May Cry, but lets leave those DMC comparisons to when I actually make the DMC x RWBY story with Blake as the romantic interest. That's when I'll have some fun with it.**

 **And… well you know what, that paragraph is going to be the fact of the day. Why? Because I really can't think of a better one off the top of my head.**

 **Also, Dr. Monty, I understand that reference and I love it!**

 **Finally, I had a little competition on Twitter (if you aren't following me, you should consider it) where someone guesses the chapter by the title alone, and the closest guess will be featured. Well, the winner this chapter is Death Metal Batman!**

 **So, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I'll see you later!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**


	22. Volume 3 - Chapter 22: Get Up

**Volume 3 - Chapter 22: Get Up, You Have Company**

Ruby, Dylan, and Ozpin wait patiently outside your room. Well, Ozpin is waiting patiently. Ruby and Dylan are both nervous, anxious, and scared; showing visible signs of all three emotions. Ruby is constantly playing with her fingers, flipping her hood up and down, and internally screaming at how painful this waiting is. Dylan continuously taps his foot on the ground and his finger on his sleeve.

The moment they got back to Beacon you were rushed to the infirmary. You weren't breathing the entire time, but none of them believed you were dead despite the evidence. They couldn't grasp it, accept it. You nearly died once before, and that was hard enough, but at least they didn't have to see your dying being. Now they have to watch your lifeless body, cuts all over, blood drying up on your skin and clothes. It's a difficult sight to see for anyone. Even the students who merely caught a glance as you were hastily taken away to the medical wing.

Thus you're there now, being looked over by a doctor. Outside of the room more people join Ruby, Dylan, and Ozpin. Glynda, the rest of RWBY, and JNPR approach the door, all with worried faces. The students all hustle together, while Glynda moves beside Ozpin.

"How's he doing?"

"We're not sure yet," Ozpin blandly responds. "She should be done her analysis soon. Though I fear the worst. Did you find anything?"

Glynda looks to Weiss, who's holding a sheathed Crimson Blaze.

"We found his sword. Luckily no Grimm attacked, but we stayed until sun down to keep the villagers worries at bay. Though the girls were riddled with worry the entire time."

Before any more conversation can continue, the door to your room opens. Everyone looks to the doctor, Ms. Daniels.

"The news?" Ozpin asks, taking the lead before anyone else could blurt out an irrational response.

Daniels sighs.

"He's… well, it's odd. He's alive." With those two words a thousand ton weight is lifted off everyone in the hallway.

"Why is it odd he's alive?" Pyrrha inquires, touching on the doctor's previous words.

Ms. Daniels crosses her arms, trying to find the best way to explain.

"Well… I assume the 'lethal blow' was the stab wound to the chest. However… whoever executed that attack knew what they were doing."

"Obviously. They tried to kill him," Yang says like its obvious.

Daniels shakes her head.

"No, no… I mean, they purposefully missed any vital organs or arteries. On top of that, there was hints of a very powerful sedative in his blood, originating from his stab wound. It's intended to simulate death…"

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Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, Roman, Neo, and Harrier litter around one of Roman's warehouses. Cinder seems very happy, as if she's on top of the world.

"He wasn't breathing. Neo did the job," Harrier confirms.

Cinder nods.

"Just as Adam reported. Perfect. Now that we have Slater out of the way, things will be a lot easier for us."

"Sad, Harrier? You're the last Slater now," Roman smirks.

Harrier shrugs under his cloak.

"It matters little to me. He was stubborn enough to try and fight a losing battle, and he died for it."

Neo twirls her umbrella behind her back as she makes her way to the door.

"Where's she going?" Emerald brings up.

"Lay off her," Roman waves kicking back as he lights his cigar. "I'd say she's earned some free time after killing Slater."

Neo turns and bows to the group before leaving the building. She leans against the door and places a hand on her chest. She's unsure whether she's done the right thing or not. Her plan worked at well since she managed to get the final hit, thus, saving your life in the process. You're even now. You beat her and let her live, she saved you from certain death.

She has to see you, leave a note for you. You need to know you're even now, and that she's looking forward to seeing you again to compete once more. She pushes off the door and starts walking, but someone steps in her path – Harrier.

"I know he's not dead," he bluntly states.

Neo stands still, holding her ground. Harrier smirks under the cover of his cloak.

"Thank you." Neo becomes confused at those words. "I didn't want him dead yet," he explains. "And I think trying to hold Adam back would have been quite the nuisance. You took care of that for me with little effort and didn't attract attention. Thus, I thank you. You were going to visit him, no?" Neo doesn't respond in any way. Harrier shrugs. "Very well. Go on with your business. I simply hope that when it does come time for me to kill Slater, you will remember which side you're on."

With those words, Harrier leaves Neo to her plans. Neo stares at the ground, contemplating her true role. She's absolutely loyal to Roman with no doubts, but there's something about you that's so intriguing that she can't help but want to be around you. Perhaps its your cheery nature, perhaps its your fondness of her. She isn't sure, but she's happy that she'll be able to be around you soon. She does have to be with Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald for the Vytal Festival, so at least that'll be some time. But she can plan all that later. Right now she has a letter to write, and an unconscious man to visit.

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Dylan looks away, thinking on who delivered that stab wound. He did examine it somewhat on the way back. It wasn't Wilt, that's for sure. The size and cut doesn't resemble Adam's weapon at all. Dylan almost wants to say it's Neo's blade, but that makes no sense. Why would she spare you?

"So… he's…" Ruby shakily speaks.

"He's fine. His aura is slowly coming back, though his wounds are healing faster than normal."

"Like his father?" Pyrrha brings up. "Does he have that ability as well."

Ozpin shakes his head.

"No, not at all. Because of Jet's blood and healing semblance, it seems that those traits were given to (Y/N), if massively diluted."

"A comparison could be Ms. Rose. Your theoretical child might be slightly faster than an average person if they don't adopt your semblance. Though it's not a constant," Glynda adds.

"Exactly," Ms. Daniels agrees. "He just needs some rest. His hand has healed, as well as some other cuts. I'm sure as his aura returns he'll make a speedy recovery. He's simply resting right now, so you can visit him. Just try not to apply any pressure to him. He's still… fragile, at the moment."

Ruby gets off her chair and bolts into the room, leaving everyone behind. She stops beside you, staring at your calm face. It's such a welcome change from the pained one she saw mere hours ago. But the overwhelming joy that you're alive and you'll be fine fills her. Tears roll down her face once more, dropping onto the blanket that covers your medical clothes. She wraps her arm around you and holds you, being careful not to squeeze.

Weiss, Glynda, and Ozpin enter the room behind Ruby. Weiss looks onto the side table where your ruined clothing and damaged glove lie. She walks over to it and rests your blade beside it so all your belongings are back to normal. Glynda also decides to help, using her semblance to mold your clothes back together the best she can. They may be a wee bit tighter, but at least you have the option to return to them if need be.

Weiss moves to the other side of you, taking a seat opposite to Ruby as she places her hand on yours. You're a tad cold, but nothing to be concerned about. She doesn't say anything – barely makes a sound. She just sits there, staring at you while she holds your hand. The rest of your friends enter the room to see you, but they say nothing. Even Nora is remaining quite at the occasion, recognizing the seriousness of what's happening. They all stand by you in silence to show their support for you.

Of course the time is late and they can't stay in the room forever. With everyone there it's quite cramped. Ozpin makes his way out first, whispering to Glynda as he leaves.

"Allow the students to have time off, if they require it. Especially Ms. Rose, Ms. Schnee, and young Brine."

Glynda responds with only a nod, to which Ozpin leaves. JNPR leaves soon after, then Blake and Yang. Glynda, Ruby, Dylan and Weiss stay with you. Ruby and Weiss have fallen asleep by this time, Ruby resting her head on the edge of your bed whilst Weiss is simply leaning back in the chair. Dylan is leaning against the wall, his ears folded as he naps. Glynda smiles at the sight, but can't help but silently scold you for making these two girls care about you so much. Well… technically three.

She knows how scary it can be to lose someone you care about. Someone you love. Glynda's experienced that before. She knows the feeling all too well.

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 _It should be no surprise to the Huntsmen of Vale that the expansion below Glenn Volcano is under attack by Grimm. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but there's something that nobody's ever seen before. A large Grimm resembling a mythical dragon is dominating the area, spawning Grimm and destroying any aircrafts trying to get close to it. Glynda is separated from her team, and is being covered by team STRQ. The overwhelming amount of Grimm being spawned is tiring on all the Huntsmen fighting. They all know Glenn is lost, but they have to stop the incoming wave of Grimm from attacking the city._

 _But low and behold, another Bullhead swoops down and two figures drop down in front of two dozen Huntsmen. Harrier and Jet Slater land, looking up at the Dragon flying in the sky. Jet spins around, his jacket flowing with the movement. He faces the Huntsmen in his vicinity, including Glynda and team STRQ._

" _Sorry we took so long," Harrier speaks before Jet can. "Someone had to do their hair," he chuckles._

" _HEY! THEY DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT!" Jet screams, flailing his arms. He turns away from Harrier and crosses them, turning up his nose. "You totally just ruined my awesome entrance."_

" _It's about time the two of you got here," Qrow scolds, resting his weapon over his shoulder. "But are you all we got?_

" _We're all you need," Harrier smirks._

" _Exactly!" Jet enthusiastically exclaims. "You just need to take care of these smaller Grimm. Harrier and me'll take care of that big behemoth up there."_

" _But… how?" Glynda asks, moving to Jet's side._

 _Jet turns to Glynda and pecks her on the cheek._

" _With my ingeniuous fighting style, that's how."_

 _Jet leaves Glynda and stands beside Harrier. He unsheathes Crimson Blaze and points it towards the Dragon. Harrier unsheathes his own sabre, resting against Jet's back as he parallels his stance. The two hold it for a moment, pointing their blades towards the enemy they're determined to end._

" _Ready, brother?"_

" _Ready as I could be," Harrier answers._

 _Jet spins his blade and stabs it in the ground. He lets go of the hilt, grabs the blade, then returns his grip to the hilt. His blood flows to Crimson Blaze, unleashing its potential. He looks over his shoulder to Glynda._

" _Hey Glynda… just sit back. I'll be back soon."_

 _With those words, his blood pools out of the sword to create a platform for Harrier and Jet. It takes off, soaring into the air for them to meet the Dragon on his turf. Their jackets flail with the wind, even at their different elevations. Harrier remains calm and focused as he tries to think up plans to defeat the Dragon_

" _Alright Harrier, you know the drill," Jet starts. "I need to keep my hand on the sword, and probably stay in this position. I can't directly help you, but I can still summon blades and barriers to help you. You've gotta be the one to take it down."_

 _Harrier snickers, turning and patting his younger brother's shoulder._

" _As it should be; the responsibility of the older brother to get all the glory, hm?"_

 _Jet drops his face in a joking way._

" _Yeah, yeah, we'll see how it goes Mr. Incredible. Now, lets take this thing down!"_

 _Jet and Harrier reach the massive flying monster in the air. It spots them, curious to what simple humans are doing in his domain. Without giving them the satisfaction of battling with them, two Griffons rush the Slater brothers. Harrier readies to attack, but Jet has something else in mind._

" _Don't worry brother, I can handle this,"_

 _Two blood tendrils shoot out from their platform in the direction of the dual Griffons. They spiral through the air until they reach their targets, stabbing into their chest. Once burrowed inside, the single tendril bursts into hundreds more, shredding the Grimm from the inside. Both Griffons fall to the earth below while Jet and Harrier continue their pursuit of the Dragon. It circles around the volcano and rushes them._

 _Jet quickly separates himself and Harrier, only a thread of blood keeping the connection strong. The brothers move to either side of the Dragon, keeping pace as it soars through the air._

" _Can you hear me?" Harrier questions._

" _Yeah," Jet responds through the ear piece. "I'll keep distracting it, prodding it for weaknesses."_

" _Right."_

 _Dozens of tendrils shoot out from both Jet and Harrier's platforms, finding places in the Dragon to pierce. The Dragon roars, sending a small shock wave that pushes and shreds the tendrils away like paper. Jet clicks his tongue, staring at the Dragon in a perplexed manner._

" _Well that was just rude."_

 _Harrier notices the Dragon is more focused on his brother, giving him an opportunity. He leaps off the blood platform and lands on the back of the Dragon. Jet doesn't see this development as the Dragon intently chases him down, attempting to swallow the Slater whole. Harrier leaps forward and drivers his blade into the hide of the Grimm. He looks forward, hoping it affected the Dragon in some way. Evidently it hasn't, as the Dragon continues its pursuit on Jet._

 _Jet ducks under the Dragon, barely dodging its fangs. He creates some blades from his blood and thrusts them at the Dragon, which does little more than slow it down. The Dragon pushes through the blades and heads right for Jet. Harrier runs up the back of the Dragon and leaps off the side._

" _Jet! Platform!"_

 _Jet quickly makes a small wall of blood for Harrier to leap off of. He bounces off the blood and drives his heel into the side of the Dragon maw. He manages to knock the Dragon away, making it fly away from another pass. Harrier lands beside Jet._

" _Thanks bro, but… did you get any ideas to beat this thing?"_

 _Harrier shakes his head._

" _No… I stabbed it but it did nothing."_

 _Jet huffs, watching the Dragon make his next round._

" _My blood isn't potent enough to pierce through his skin. I made those blades as dense as I could…"_

" _Tsk… so what do we do?" Harrier says to himself, thinking of any possibilities._

 _Jet smirks, looking up at his older brother._

" _Well, there is one thing you can do."_

 _Harrier pauses as he takes a moment to realize what Jet's talking about._

" _Wha- No! I can't even use it properly!"_

" _We have no choice, Harrier! You know you can take on Grimm better than me with it. Maybe we can kill this thing!"_

 _Harrier grinds his teeth at his brother's request. He hasn't mastered it yet, so if he messes up he could be out of commission._

" _Jet-"_

" _I'll distract him. You get ready."_

 _Jet creates a platform directly linked to the side of the blade for Harrier. Once Harrier hops on it Jet zooms toward the Dragon, hoping his brother can pull this off. Jet flies by the Dragon's fangs, brushing the side of his with his fingers._

" _Come on, follow the leader big guy!" He shouts, smiling the entire time._

 _The Dragon roars as it circles around to chase the white coated man. Jet consistently creates blades to hit the Dragon, not intending to truly kill it but rather keep its attention on him. It's easy to do, but the trick is avoid the surprisingly fast creature. It's pursuit is true, and the goal is simple: kill Jet Slater._

 _Glynda tosses two Ursai into a pack of Beowolves, knocking them all away. She turns her attention up to her friend, and her love. She sees Harrier away standing on one of Jet's platforms away from the battle, while Jet is frantically dodging the Dragon's fangs, along with a Nevermore and a hoard of Griffons._

" _What is Harrier doing?" She whispers to herself._

 _Jet's blood extends into a platform for him to run on. The Dragon is right behind him, trampling the leftover platform. He keeps his grip right on his weapon, both to assure he has it and due to the tension of whats happening. If the Dragon wasn't here, Jet would be fine. Hell, if he didn't have to worry about his brother than he might be able to take down the Dragon himself, maybe. He doesn't know how tough the shell of that Grimm is, but he's sure he could find a way. But right now its time to show how the Slater brothers work, and to do that Jet has to be the distraction. To be fair, he's used to being the center of attention due to his personality, but the people he's entertaining aren't generally trying to eat him. Well, sometimes Glynda…_

 _Jet frantically jumps off the platform to avoid a charging Nevermore. The Dragon simply smashes the bird out of the way with his powerful maw and pursues the fun loving Jet. Jet creates a platform below him and starts soaring through the air. This time his attention is focused on the volcano, and not the Dragon. He has an idea to put this thing down for good, and save Harrier some time._

" _Harrier! You think you could at least seal this thing?"_

 _Harrier's concentration is broken._

" _What? Maybe, why?"_

 _Jet looks to the volcano, smiling._

" _What if we seal this thing inside Glenn's volcano? Just add some Dust to the mix, you know?"_

 _Harrier thinks for a moment, seeing the logic in Jet's words._

" _That… could work. But how are we going to get the Dragon in the volcano?"_

 _Jet leaps off his blood platform, spins in the air, and dives right towards the Dragon._

" _I got a way… just get ready!"_

 _As each second passes Jet gets closer to the Dragon, its mouth opening to swallow the young Huntsman-in-training. Of course, Jet won't allow himself to be eaten so easily, thus he barrels out of the way of the Dragon's gaping hole and grinds along its hide, coming to a halt just past the wing. He augments his blade with as much blood as he thinks he needs as he rushes to the Dragon's head. He leaps forward and sanctions the blade right in the middle of the Dragon's head, piercing the black hide and making the Dragon howl in pain. Jet wraps both hands around his hilt as blood seeps out of the blade and around the Dragon's head. Once fully wrapped, Jet uses his blade like a joystick to guide the Dragon towards the volcano._

" _You ready?" Jet screams, a little nervous at his own plan as he speeds towards molten hot lava._

" _I think so… just tell me when you're ready to get out of there!"_

 _Jet attempts to respond, but the Dragon starts shaking its head violently. His blood is falling off at a rapid rate due to the toxicity of the Dragon. Jet comes to a realization._

" _If I jump off… If my blood stops… he'll just fly away…" He chuckles. "Damn… Harrier!" He finally says loud enough for Harrier to hear._

" _What?"_

" _Tell Glynda… tell her I'm sorry, huh? And that I love her."_

 _Harrier's spirit drops at his brother's words._

" _What? Jet, what're you talking about? Just get out of there!"_

" _I can't Harrier," he shakes his head. "If my plan is going to work I have to come with this behemoth. Should have left the thinking to you, huh?"_

 _Harrier clenches his fists._

" _You idiot… I can-"_

" _No time!" He shouts, the Dragon about to enter the volcano. "Seal us, Harrier! Now!"_

 _Glynda, team STRQ, and the rest of the Huntsmen take a moment to watch as a blinding flash erupts from the sky. They all cover their eyes, blind to the events occuring in the sky. The only thing they feel or hear is a crashing of rocks in the distance._

 _As the light fades, Harrier lands a short distance away from them. They all eagerly wait for the two Slaters to return, but only one shows himself. Glynda steps away from the rest._

" _Where's Jet? Farther back?"_

 _Harrier looks at Glynda's hopeful eyes, completely ignorant to what just happened. Harrier attempts to find the words, but he can't bring himself to say them. The only thing he does is open and close his mouth, prolonging what should be one sentence._

" _Jet… he…"_

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She knows what its like to lose someone in battle, especially when it's their choice. But all Slaters have a problem with staying dead, which is a good thing depending on which side they're on. Glynda leaves her position and approaches from Weiss' side. She leans over your bed and plants a tender kiss on your forehead.

"Rest up, and never do something so stupid again," she whispers.

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It's hard to describe what you're feeling right now. The last thing you remember feeling is hot, stinging pains all over your body. Now you're feeling nothing but comfort and heat. Heat? You begin to open your ey-

"Ah! WHY?" You shout, smacking the light out of your face. "Demonic light, you shall not take me," you mumble, rubbing your eyes to try and get back to normal.

Once the leftover image of the light is gone you finally get to look at your surroundings. For some reason you're getting major hints of déjà vu. A white room, mostly empty… you've definitely seen this scenario before. You lift yourself off the bed to a sitting position and look down at your body. Your torso is covered in bandages and… something's uncomfortable in the crotch region. You slip your hand under your pants and grab what feels to be a letter. Once you pull it out your assumption turns out to be true. A piece of paper folded in half with lip marks sits in your hand. Curiosity getting the better of you, you open up the letter.

"(Y/N) Slater, you're alive because of me. I didn't want you to die, for some reason. Don't let it get to your head, because next time we meet I'll be the one in the lead. Yours truly, Little Ms. Adorable." You fold the paper and smile. "I guess we are even, huh, Neo? I hope I see you again soon," you whisper to yourself.

You look around and finally notice that you're not alone in the room. Ruby and Weiss are on both sides of you, sleeping in their chairs. You scratch your head.

"How long have they been there? How long have I been here?" You ask aloud.

With nothing more to do, you hop out of the bed and grab your clothes. They're surprisingly put back together, so you have no issue putting them back on. Your jacket feels a little tighter, but not to an extent that makes it uncomfortable. The final article of clothing is your damaged glove. You pick it up and stare at it, remembering Adam stabbing through it. You clench your fist.

"Damn… Guess that's one edge I've lost. Now I'm not edgy. Was I ever edgy? Nah, I just slate like the Slate- I really gotta stop that one," you chuckle.

You walk over to your sword and attract it to your belt. With everything set, you approach the door. Once you grab the handle you immediately stop, remembering the two ladies at your bed. You spin on your heel and jog back to the bed, stopping beside Ruby.

 _Okay, let's make a guess. Ruby's going to tackle me into a hug and say she was worried about me, and Weiss will call me a dunce as she hits me. Or hits on me. Ha! Yeah right. Weiss Schnee liking me. That'll be the day._

You chuckle at the silly thought and decide to go through with your plan. You place your hand on Ruby's shoulder and lightly shake her, whispering.

"Little Red? It's time to wake up, buttercup."

Ruby's silver eyes soon show themselves, evidently drowsy and not entirely aware.

"I… don't wanna," she pouts, rolling on her other side.

You chuckle, placing a hand on your hip.

"Well, I could just go get stabbed again. I'm sure there's a line-up somewhere."

Ruby finally recognizes the joke, the tone, and the wielder of that voice. Her eyes shoot open and she looks to you. Instantly she jumps off the chair, pushing it against the wall, and wraps her arms around your neck and her legs around your waist. With all the commotion going on Weiss begins to stir while Ruby vigorously hugs you as tight as possible.

"I was so scared! Your aura was going away and Dylan said you were gonna die and Ozpin was tense, and… and…"

You start to feel your shirt become moist from Ruby's tears. You shake your head and smile, then hug her back the best you can in your constricted state.

"It's okay, Little Red. It's okay. I'm here," you comfort.

Weiss gets out of her chair and stands close, waiting for her turn to speak to you. You notice this, so you gently move Ruby onto the bed as you detach her from you. Once she's down you turn to Weiss and meet a swift punch in the gut.

"Ah, Weiss… I-"

She quickly turns the punch into a hug.

"We thought you were dead," she whispers. "I… thought you were dead, you dunce."

It's few and far between that you see Weiss show this side of her, but you like it. It reminds you that she's not all sass and spite. She can actually be caring when she wants to be, though it seems she's only like that when you almost die, or if you're alone.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty hard to kill. Besides… I had someone looking out for me."

"Dylan?" Ruby inquires, tilting her head to the side.

"Heh, yeah."

You and Weiss separate, taking a triangle position.

"So… how long have I been out?"

"Three days," Weiss answers. "You've been stable for those days, but you're always going to be a lazy dunce about it."

You smile, rubbing the back of your head.

"I was tired, leave me alone," you chuckle. "Well, I guess that means I have to show everyone I'm okay."

"Hey!" Ruby shouts. "What about the…" She shrivels a bit, becoming embarrassed and red. "The date you promised me…"

You nod in acknowledgement.

"Very true. Well, come with me and once everyone knows I'm up we can go. Sound good?"

Ruby nods.

"Yep!"

With a plan in mind, you place a hand on both Weiss and Ruby's shoulders, then _**leap**_ to the entrance of the building.

"Shouldn't you notify them you're awake?" Weiss brings up.

You wave her off.

"Nah, it'll be fine. Come on."

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Ozpin and Glynda look over some charts relating to the incoming students and the specifics for the Vytal Festival. With the grand event so close, there comes more and more work to be done and perfect, on top of the possible threat that's always on their mind. Add that Harrier is now a confirmed threat… it's a lot to handle for two people. But, they press on.

Suddenly Ozpin's scroll goes off. He clicks it to answer.

"This is Ozpin."

"We lost him again!" A woman shouts.

Ozpin and Glynda share a look, knowing exactly what this is about.

"We're on our way."

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You walk in between Weiss and Ruby with your hands in your jean pockets. Weiss and Ruby have already informed Yang, Blake, and JNPR of your recovery, thus you're currently on your way to meet them. You're not too focused on that though. Instead, you're amazed by all the new faces around Beacon.

"So new students have arrived while I was sleeping, huh?" You comment.

Ruby shrugs.

"I guess. I, uh, didn't really leave your room."

You rustle her hair, making her fluster.

"Hey!"

You chuckle, then slip your hand back into your pocket.

"Still fun to see all these people. I wonder which ones I'll…" Your voice trails off once your eyes land on a certain individual.

He has messy golden hair that falls around his head, though is conveniently out of the way of his glasses. The back comes to a very neat point just below his collar at the back of his head. He has shimmering blue eyes that are slightly obscured from the golden rimmed glasses he dons. The biggest giveaway for you is the combination of a gold sweater and a black sweater vest, along with his black suit pants. He finishes his attire with a gold watch, bronze shoes, and his trusty black suitcase he's always toting around.

You sprint away from Ruby and Weiss towards the man, resulting in both girls calling for you before running after you. You sprint towards the man as he looks at his watch, then slide to a halt just behind him. He hears the commotion and turns to see what's the problem. The moment his blue eyes meet yours they light up.

"(Y/N)?" He smiles.

You pull him into a hug right away, which he happily returns, though he doesn't let go of the suitcase.

"Dior! How have you been?" You two release each other. "It's been months!"

Dior nods.

"Yeah, it's been s-some time. I, uh… who're they?" He asks, reclusively pointing at the two girls running towards you.

"Oh, that's Weiss and Ruby," you answer without looking.

"Hey hotstuff!" A voice greets, punching your shoulder blade from behind.

You turn around to see Yang and Blake.

"Oh, nevermind," you correct, taking a step back so Dior can see your friends.

"Dior, this is Yang and Blake," you gesture to each as you say their name. "Girls, this is one of my best buddies, Dior," you smile, throwing your arm around his shoulder as you pull him close again.

"Ah, (Y/N)!" He quietly complains as he struggles to regain balance.

Soon enough Weiss and Ruby catch up, taking position on either side of Blake and Yang. Dior fixes his shirt and takes a gander at the two new girls.

"Ah… I was wondering if the Weiss you mentioned was indeed the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I'm h-honoured to meet you," Dior bows his head, attempting to hide how nervous he is in front of all these people.

"The pleasure is mine. And you are?"

"Dior," he responds. "A friend of (Y/N)."

The collection of teenagers begin to talk amongst themselves. During all the speech, Dior remains silent, deciding to watch instead. He never was fond of crowds… or talking. But he notices that everyone is asking you how you're feeling, what is was like, all these questions that infer you were in some sort of trouble. Though Dior isn't sure, one thing that does catch his attention are your hands. Neither of your hands has the glove he designed for you. Cautiously he taps your shoulder to get your attention. You divert it to him, expressing words through facial features rather than words.

"What happened to t-the glove?" He asks.

You look at your hands, then remember.

"Oh, right." You reach into your pocket and pull out the glove. "It was damaged in a battle I had not too long ago. It doesn't work, sadly."

Dior reaches for the glove, raising his brow to ask for permission to take it. You nod, and he follows through with taking the object. He observes it in his hands, noting every detail.

"The magnet was destroyed… how did they stab through it? You took it off?" You shake your head with a slightly serious tone. "Oh… well… I can fix it for you, if you like?"

You smile, patting Dior's shoulder.

"You're the best. I would really appreciate it."

Dior nods as he rests his suitcase in one hand and opens it. He sets the glove inside then closes it up.

"I'll get to it as soon as I can. In fact, I-"

"Dior!" A booming voice echoes from a short distance away, gathering the entire groups attention. "You were supposed to wait at the fountain, not…" The man looks at the group Dior is standing with, though his eyes lock onto you.

He's a big man, reminding you of Yatsuhashi in a variety of ways. Though covered in a very loose black suit, it's clear he's a very bulky man. He's a young Asian man with black hair that's slicked to the left, though its obvious his parting is on the right. Two rogue strands of hair fall in front of his forehead, but its short over all. The most distinct feature is a slightly crooked nose that somehow compliments his overall appearance. As he approaches the group everyone really gets the fact that he's tall, towering over all of your friends.

You instantly smile, bolting from the group towards him.

"KIN, you devil!" You shout.

Kin opens his arms as he runs to you.

"You forgot handsome in there," he laughs.

You hop up to his level, wrapping your arms around his chest as you squeeze as tightly as you can. He does the same back, which is more powerful than yours. After a moment you separate, laughing and smiling.

"It's good to see you, (Y/N). You're looking a lot better than when I last saw you. Much happier, but that may be because I'm here," he laughs.

You jab his arm in a friendly manner.

"Oh shut up, Kin. I have plenty of reasons to look good. I mean," you cover your mouth and lean closer to him. "Do you see all those ladies I have to impress?"

"Indeed! Lovely, if I do say so myself. Especially you, dear," he says kneeling on one leg before Yang. "You are indeed, a beautiful one," he recites, gently taking her hand and placing a kiss on her fingers.

Yang smiles at the gesture, not flustered or anything. She's not like the other girls. She isn't one to deny attention. Surprisingly, his hands feel soft to the touch for such a big person.

"Yang," she introduces. "Very nice to see (Y/N) has some classy friends."

"Ha, classy isn't what I'd use!" You add.

Kin lifts off his leg and rolls his shoulders.

"Very true. Expressive, glorious! That's the words I would use," he rants.

"So you're part of the same team?" Blake asks, leaning on her hip.

"Yes ma'am," Kin enthusiastically answers. "Myself, Dior over there, Onyx who is right there," he points behind the crowd to a young man.

Everyone turns to see him, and a majority are scared by the sudden appearance of the man. He has a slimmer body than most which is evident by his uncovered arms. His body is covered by a straight, durable grey vest that acts both as clothing and fitting armour. His shoes and pants follow his colour palet of grey, but the dark red scarf dipping over the armour is the only break from the grey. He has dark grey hair that droops completely over his left eye, making it impossible to see, but his grey right eye is clearly visible, if only blocked by a random strand from his messy hair. He has a small, slopped nose, a not very defined face, and a mole resting just to the side of his right eye. The only other visible feature is the quiver of arrows and bow, with bladed edges, on his back.

"Where did you come from?" Ruby shrieks, stepping closer to you.

"I've been here for some time," he says in a monotone voice. "So you're (Y/N)'s new friends. Interesting. Makes sense why Dior and Kin diverged from the plan."

Kin rubs the back of his neck, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah, but how could I not come to see my good buddy!"

Onyx nods.

"Fair enough. It is good to see you again, (Y/N)," he says, approaching you and shaking your hand.

"Same here, Onyx. I've missed you, though I think I've found a decent enough replacement for you."

"Someone else not find your jokes all that funny?" He snickers, though still quite emotionless.

"Basically," you laugh. It's all fun and games until a realization soon dawns on you. Onyx… Kin… Dior… if they're all here. "Uh… guys," you start, getting someone scared. "Is, uh… Rogue here?"

The three boys share a look, all looking concerned. Even Onyx is showing some emotion.

"She is… though she doesn't know you're here."

"Who's Rogue?" Ruby asks, looking up at you.

"She's… well…"

"She was mad w-when (Y/N) left," Dior speaks.

"She's the only one he didn't say goodbye to," Onyx adds.

"He was scared of her."

"Kin!"

"Onyx! Kin? Dior, where are you guys!" A voice calls.

"AH!" You shriek, slipping between the girls and hiding behind Yang.

"What are you doing?" Yang giggles.

"I… uh… tickling you?"

"Looks like you're hiding," Blake comments.

"Definitely hiding," Weiss confirms.

"Told you. Scared."

"I am not!"

"Oh, there you are," the girl shouts, waving at the group.

"Gahahahahaaaaa," you moan, pulling Weiss and Blake closer to Yang.

The woman surprises RWBY. She looks nice, no, beautiful. She's slender, toned. She resembles Pyrrha in almost every way in terms of body type, and even hair colour. She has red hair that flows just above the midway point of her back. Her hair falls in front of her face, but it doesn't go in front of her blue eyes. She has a mousy nose, soft lips, and an all around smooth and attractive face. To follow, she wears a red jacket that is strikingly similar to yours. She has a white shirt with a deep v-collar. She covers her skin with a golden necklace that mirrors her v-neck. Along with that she has black, tight shorts and deep red army boots.

She approaches the group, standing opposite to RWBY so she can't see you cowering behind them.

"Who're these girls?" She asks, placing on hand on the hip she's leaning on.

"Well, I'm Ruby," she starts, extending her hand towards Rogue. "This is my team!"

Rogue firmly shakes Ruby's hand.

"I see. Didn't know you guys knew any other girls, honestly. Well, Kin, maybe. Not you two, though," she kids.

The Yang, Blake, and Weiss all remain unnaturally still, both due to you and their own curiosity. So far Rogue seems like a nice person. Why would you be so scared of her? Why did you not say goodbye to her?

Rogue turns her attention to the three girls, raising a brow at their odd stances.

"What's up your butts? You're standing straighter than the tower up there," she jokes, taking a step towards them.

Ruby isn't sure what to think, but the three men of team ORKD are silently freaking out at what might happen.

"Well, don't you three look interesting," Rogue starts, crossing her arms and leaning forward. "Maybe we'll fight each other in the tournament. I love your boots, by the way," she says, pointing at Weiss' footwear.

As she stares down at Weiss' boots she notices an extra pair of feet that don't match up with the how many people are there. On top of that, they look like men's shoes. Rogue stands up straight with a perplexed look on her face.

"Is there someone behind you?"

A small shriek erupts from behind the girls. Rogue raises her brow, intrigued and confused. The girls look at each other for a moment, all acknowledging that the jig is up, and move out of the way to reveal you. You're leaned over, hands on your head, cowering for your life. You can feel the change of position, more wind, silent anger. You open one eye and look up at the towering girl standing before you, still coming to terms with who she's seeing.

You wave your hands in front of you, remaining in the cowering position.

"You don't see anyone," you chant.

"(Y/N)?"

"I'm a figment of your imagination," you continue, pleading this is going to work.

Rogue simply continues to stare until you finally give up. You stand up straight, nervously smiling at her.

"H-Hey, Rogue. Long time no-

"You!" She screams.

"Hehehe… me…"

Quickly Kin wraps his arms around Rogue's, locking her in a bear hug. She viciously thrashes around.

"Let me go Kin! I'm gonna kill him! He's gonna regret ever being born once I'm done with him."

"Calm down, Rogue," he coaxes, trying to help you out.

"Why is she so mad at you?" Ruby asks, slipping beside you.

You rub the back of your head.

"Well… I mean…"

"You left without even saying goodbye! How could you do that to your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" RWBY exclaims.

"Well…"

"But, I'm your girlfriend," Ruby brings up.

You close your eyes, preparing for the sound you're about to hear.

"WHAT?" She shrieks, her voice reaching the far reaches of Vale.

She elbows Kin in the ribs, making him wheeze and let go of her. She marches up to you and Ruby, cheeks red, eyes flaring, and an intimidating demeanor.

"You left me without even a word-"

"I'm sorry."

"And when I finally see you, you're with another girl!"

"Somewhat sorry."

"And with… is she younger," she inquires, leaning closer and examining the young Huntress-in-Training."

"By two years."

"Two years? What is wrong with you? How could you possibly leave me for her?"

"She doesn't yell at me…"

"Hey!" Yang interjects. "Don't talk about my sister like that!"

"Yeah!" Ruby adds. "You don't know (Y/N) half as well as I do."

You let your head fall into your hands.

"Please don't do this…"

"Know him? Please, evidently he hasn't left you yet. When you're with someone for as long as…"

Weiss, in all the commotion, manages to drag you out of the conundrum towards the other boys.

"You know how to pick'em," Weiss says.

"This is why I was hiding," you sigh.

Kin grabs Rogue again and starts to walk away.

"Hey! Kin let me go! I am not done here!"

"Yeah, we all are. We'll talk to you later, (Y/N)," he shouts.

Onyx joins his two team members, but Dior waits before joining them.

"What's your room? I wanna drop off your glove tonight."

"Oh, uh…" Dior hands you his scroll for you to type into. "Yeah, here. You'll find me."

"O-Okay. See you (Y/N). Sorry for the commotion."

Dior leaves for his team, allowing the five of you to have a break.

"I don't like her," Yang declares.

Ruby shakes her head to agree with Yang. You simply sigh.

"That actually went better than expected. I guess I'll have to talk to her, later."

You start walking, and RWBY follows.

"So… what happened between you to? Did you not say goodbye because it ended badly?" Ruby asks.

"Uh… no… honestly, she has a right to be mad at me. Don't… judge her from that, please. She's actually a great girl, if you look past her temper. We were dating at the time, and, as you all know, I moved around a lot. So when the time came to leave I just… couldn't bring myself to tell her. So I left. I was stupid, honestly. I regret it."

"You, uh, regret losing her?" Ruby timidly asks, beating around the bush.

You realize her meaning and chuckle. You slip your arm around Ruby and pull her close, sharing the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Not in that way, Little Red. I just regret how we ended, not that we ended. We haven't been dating long, but so far it's not too bad. Maybe if we don't work out though…" You notice Yang start to react to this train of thought. "I was kidding! Kidding!" You nervously chuckle.

"You better be."

"I am," you eagerly nod. "Well… hm… how about we go on that date, huh? I can meet up with Dylan and JNPR later, and I think you deserve a treat for having to deal with Rogue."

Ruby nods.

"Yeah!"

You let her go and stop in front of the group.

"Well, I'll pick you up from your dorm in, say, an hour?" When Ruby nods in acknolwdgement, you smile. "Perfect. I'll see you all later, then," you say before _**leaping**_ away.

The girls continue to walk, all attention now on Ruby.

"You got pretty heated back there, sis. A little jealous, maybe?" Yang teases.

"No! And you were on my side too so shush!"

Yang shrugs, smiling confidently.

"I suppose. Now, you better get ready for your date. Go on."

Ruby rushes off, leaving the girls alone.

"Yang, you're not going to follow them, are you?" Blake asks, feeling the intentions of her fiery partner.

Yang places her hand on her chest overdramatically.

"I would never do such a thing. But I think I'll… just… go to town tonight. You two want to join me?"

"Sure!" Weiss blurts. "Uh, I mean, yes. We have to assure his intentions are… pure."

Yang smiles, patting Weiss' back.

"Alright, Ice Queen. We're on a recon mission!"

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! The introduction to the infamous Team ORKD has finally arrived. There was more requests for them to show up than I thought there would be, which is cool. I'm nowhere close to done with them, so expect more ORKD in future chapters – especially Rogue. Oh, Rogue. Her name is an anagram for Rouge, which is French for Red… you know, just in case you didn't catch that. I'm sure you did though, you smart reader, you.**

 **Alright, so I have something legitimate to talk about this author's note, so stick around if you're interested. I did a poll on Twitter (if you want to influence future stories, or decisions in current stories then follow me there) regarding lemons. There were three options: Lemons, No Lemons, Only One Lemon. Take a guess which one won. Yeah, if you guessed "Lemons" you're right. That means Crimson Shadow will have multiple lemons in it. THIS DOES NOT MAKE CRIMSON SHADOW A SEX STORY. I don't know how many I'll add. Don't expect them often. Possibly one every fifteen chapters, maybe. Depends on the situations the characters are in. With this option, I'm going to make this realistic. Couples have sex, it's a fact. Ruby is younger and probably won't approach it the same as other characters, and I'll take that into consideration. There will not be a lemon until at least Volume 3.5 where Ruby is sixteen. But I just want you to know that they will be organic and sensible. Don't think this is turning into a massive lemonade tidal wave. You guys should know my writing well enough to know I'm not an idiot when it comes to this stuff. I hope you understand, and just enjoy the entire story.**

 **On top of that, the lovely reader Dorkykouhai8 on Wattpad, and fandomtrash8 on Twitter, who is also the artist responsible for the cover photo for Crimson Shadow, is redoing it! A new and improved cover art is coming, so give her some love for her awesome work!**

 **But that's all I really have to talk about. I'll try to get another chapter out before the end of December, but I have Project's Past to write as well, and I don't want to spend my entire Christmas writing. I think I'll try to get out a requested one-shot out for Christmas, though. It… well, as a hint, lets say it's a different turn of events for Crimson Shadow that leads Slater to… be intrigued by a different girl. Who? Well you'll have to wait and find out!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72**


	23. Chapter 23: Slater Is What Slater Does

**Chapter 23: Slater is What Slater Does**

"So you actually had friends?" Dylan chuckles, humoured at the idea.

"Oh ha, ha," you sarcastically laugh, washing your hands in the bathroom. "You know I'm actually a pretty likable guy when you don't have the initial intention of killing me… like some people," you quickly cough.

Dylan rolls his eyes. Fidgeting on his bed.

"Whatever."

You smile, turning off the water and proceeding to dry your hands.

"Well, now's not the time to think of Rogue and the guys. I have to take Ruby on a date. You know, relationship stuff," you snicker.

"Is it even possible for you to be romantic?" Dylan asks, staring at the ceiling.

You start laughing as you grab your jacket and slip it on.

"Ah… no, not really. At least not intentionally. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do. I just sorta… promised it," you shrug.

"That is you, in retrospect. You always jump headfirst into battle without a plan."

You chuckle, heading for the door. You stop at it and wink at Dylan.

"You know it."

You open the door and leave the room, letting the door close behind you. You walk down the hallway and make your way to Ruby's dorm. Right before you turn the corner you see Dior come through the door and intently make his way to you. You stop walking and let your golden friend reach you.

"Heya, Dior. What's up?" Your eyes widen in fear. "Is Rogue coming?" You whimper.

"Huh? N-No. I have your glove," he states before swinging his briefcase in front of him and opens it up to present the new glove.

"Oh, hey! That was fast," you remark as you grab the glove and slip it on.

You articulate your fingers, testing how it fits on you.

"Heh… fits like a glove," you joke, eyeing Dior.

He blankly stares at you, then suddenly comes to a realization.

"Oh, was that a joke?"

You start laughing.

"Damn, what's with everyone just hating on me lately."

"Unless there's something I don't know, didn't that happen all the time?" Dior corrects.

"Dior… Dior…" You wrap your arm around him and pull him close. "I love you… but shut up," you swiftly whisper.

Dior smiles.

"You haven't changed much. Anyways, I made a change to the glove I want to explain."

You release him and cross your arms.

"Alrighty. Hit me."

Dior closes his briefcase and prepares himself.

"Well, I extended the range of the transponder so your sheathe can be attracted from anywhere on Remnant, unless they're some sort of… overwhelming disturbance. Besides that, I added a, what's the simplest way to explain… lets say I added a 'push/pull' feature," he says with air quotes. You raise your brow which results in Dior quickly explaining. "Before you could only attract your sheathe, but now, if you wish, you can push it away from you. I'm sure you could find creative uses for it in battle," he smiles.

You pat Dior's back.

"You're a miracle worker, Dior. You know, I still wonder why you have difficulty in crowds when you talk to me so easily," you remark.

Dior shrugs.

"I don't know. You're… easier? I guess."

You accept his reasoning and start examining the glove. Just to give it a test you turn your body towards your dorm and reach your hand out. You soon hear a crash.

"AH! Even his weapons undermine me!" Dylan shouts from your dorm.

You hold in a laugh, your eyes watering, then you try the push mechanic. You hear another small crash.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" He screeches.

You burst into laughter at the thought of Dylan being kicked around by your unmanned sword.

"If I'm correct you can move it side to side as well," Dior comments before starting to walk away.

You're absolutely giddy at the potential of Dior's new installment. If you weren't tied to going on this date, you'd practice right away. You mentally kick yourself for even thinking that. Ruby's your girlfriend, she should be top priority. Perhaps all you need is some time to get used to the idea. You've been single for a long time, and there's a certain mindset that's adopted when in a relationship. Then again you're pretty stubborn, as everyone likes to point out.

You shrug and spin on your heel until you're facing down the hallway. You start walking in a fairly goofy manner that's expected from you at this point. You reach Ruby's dorm, spin all around on your heel, then stop when you face the door. You're about to knock but the door opens to reveal Ruby at the door waiting. You note that she's not wearing her regular garbs, but rather the outfit she wore during the dance. She even has the heels on, which is the biggest shock to you. Her face soon turns to horror and she slams the door. You blink twice, bewildered by your sudden experience.

"Go ahead. Knock," you hear Ruby speak from the other side of the door.

"I…" You shrug. "Okay…"

You knock on the door, but you're left waiting for a few seconds. Finally Ruby opens the door attempting to be casual.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you for another ten minutes," she happily greets, a thin layer of nervousness in her voice.

"I… but… you…" You can't even formulate a cohesive thought at this point, but Ruby takes over.

"Oh, it's fine. Come on, I'm sure this'll be great," she cheers, walking beside you, facing the opposite way.

You notice Blake in the room, chuckling at the scene before her.

"She was waiting at the door for the last ten minutes," Blake whispers, which you barely hear but you fill in the gaps as you read her lips.

She gives you a shrug, to which you respond with one right back. You grab the handle of the door and start to close it.

"See ya around, Blake."

"Have fun," she wishes before the door closes.

You and Ruby start walking down the hallway towards the exit.

"So… whaaat are we gonna do?" Ruby asks with a hopeful tone.

"It's… a surprise! Yeah… surprise," you say with a false confidence.

Ruby joyfully smiles at your words.

"Awesome! I bet you have something really REALLY cool planned."

"Y-Yeah… really awesome… By the way, what's with the getup? You're making me feel underdressed."

Ruby looks down at herself, waving the ends of the dress.

"Oh, you know, just thought I'd look my best. But you look good, don't worry! You always look goo- I mean… you don't need to change," she ends quietly, poking her two index fingers together.

You bend over and plant a quick kiss in her cheek, making her flare up.

"You look beautiful, Ruby. I guess that means I have to treat you with the utmost respect and kindness."

"Psh, I'm not Weiss," Ruby giggles.

"Mm, true…" You lean close to her ear and whisper. "You're better."

Ruby curls in on herself in pure joy. You chuckle at the response then rustle her hair up a bit.

"Alright, so let's take an airship down or something."

"Why not just… _**step**_ or whatever?" She asks, jolting her shoulders up.

"Well, we'd spend as much time together as possible," you casually say as you hold the door open for her, then follow once she passes. "But if you want we can just _**leap**_ to Vale."

Ruby thinks on it for a second.

"I suppose more time would be cool, yeah. Alright!"

You two continue small talk as you approach the docking area. Fortunately there's an airship still loading students and visitors. You two enter the airship and take a seat along the side. You relax, kicking your feet out and cupping your head in your hands. Though you may look tranquil, you're mind's abuzz with what to do with Ruby. What do people do on dates? You haven't dated in so long, and Ruby's definitely a different girl than Rogue was. You'll have to think of something that'll live up to Ruby's expectations. You do care, so you want to show you've put in maximum effort.

Then it dawns on you… you don't have any lien. You stand up, making Ruby perplexed.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, uh… nothing! I just, uh, forgot something at my dorm! I'll be right back, alright?"

Ruby shrugs.

"Okay… I'll be here."

You close your eyes and lock on to Ozpin's office, which takes little time considering the short distance. You _**leap**_ out of the airship and land right in the middle of Ozpin's office. He's at his desk looking over student dossiers and reports. His eyes drift up to meet yours, then he leans back to give you his full attention.

"Ah, (Y/N). To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing my son?" He calmly greets.

You rub the back of your head, chuckling.

 _This is such a teenager thing, but…_

"Well… you see, Ozpin, the greatest dad ever-"

"Oh, this oughta be good," he chuckles, getting ready for your request.

You droop your shoulder, unamused at his statement.

"Look, I… heh, well I don't really have a JOB, per se," you speak with a certain finesse, walking side to side. "But, you know, being my dad and all, I think it's… sorta appropriate that, you know, I ask if I could, maybe… borrow a few… lien?" You end, one eye closed, shoulders up, muscles tense.

You've never had to ask this of anyone before, and for some reason asking Ozpin just seems to be all the more difficult. But you truly don't have much lien. But Ozpin merely chuckles at the request.

"I suppose this is one of the burdens of being a parent, and this is the first time you're asking. But, I must ask why you need lien?" He says with a polite tone.

"Oh, uh… dinner?" You answer, though your tone is more as if it's a question.

"A dinner? With anyone in particular?"

"Um… nooooo."

"Perhaps with Ms. Rose who's waiting in the airship which is about to leave?"

"Um… maaaaybe?"

Ozpin chuckles.

"Well, I wouldn't want you to be lacking on your 'date,'" he starts as he grabs a small envelope from a drawer and slides it across the table.

You approach the table and grab the envelope, then proceed to open it.

"Three hundred lien?" You question, to which Ozpin shrugs.

"Treat her well, (Y/N). I'll help you as much as I can, whether it be in battle or in love." You blush a bit, rubbing your neck.

"Well, I mean, love is a little much, don't you think?"

"Perhaps, but you best get going. The airship is about to leave."

"Ah, right," you nod. "Thanks Ozpin!"

You quickly _**leap**_ to the airship, standing right in front of Ruby. She shakes, being startled by your sudden appearance.

"Ah, oh, hey! You're alright now?" She asks with some concern.

You nod with a big smile on your face.

"Of course!" You take a seat beside her. "Anyway, it's just about you and I now."

Ruby smiles, nodding.

"Yeah… you and me."

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Everyone starts pouring out of the docked airship, which includes yourself and Ruby. She's relieved to get off the airship since she was being stared at by nearly everyone for her attire. It would have been extremely uncomfortable if it wasn't for you resting your hand on hers. Of course her face was as read as her abandoned cloak, but she appreciated the subtle support you offered her. She didn't even say anything either – you just knew.

You and Ruby leave the airship side by side, nearly touching. Ruby really wants to hold your hand again, but she's scared to do it for some reason. Holding a hand? She's done it with you so many times but it's usually you holding her hand, and not the other way around. But you're boyfriend and girlfriend. You're in a relationship, so she's allowed to hold your hand. Ruby almost violently grabs your hand, making you jump. You look down at Ruby's face and notice her determination to hold your hand. You chuckle at it and simply return the favour by maneuvering your hand so she's properly holding it.

"So, um… what are we doing?" She excitedly asks.

"I… thought that, maybe, you know, a common dating thing, would be to go for dinner? Maybe a fancy restaurant or something?"

Ruby nods her head.

"That sounds cool! I haven't gone out to eat in… hm…"

"Evidently a while. Well, it's my treat, so order whatever you want!"

"Anything?"

You think on this promise for a moment.

"Almost anything," you quickly correct.

Ruby giggles.

"I know."

Soon enough the wave of people from the airship all disperse, going their separate ways. You're only close to about two people and they're not even together. It's an odd feeling to be walking around everywhere, especially after being so used to just _**leaping**_ wherever you have to go. You'll probably continue doing it at Beacon, or on your own, but even if it's just small talk, Ruby is definitely enjoying this small time together despite having to walk in her dreadful heels. True, she can walk far easier than before, but that doesn't mean she likes them by any means.

Unknown to the two of you, two people are following you that managed to stay out of your sight, despite their bright hair colours that could give them away in complete darkness. Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long stealthily stalk you two, assuring your date goes well. They were waiting on the airship for some time, wearing silly disguises that Yang grabbed at a local costume shop. They were nothing more than hats and cheap black suits that fails to comply with Yang's fuller chest. Weiss, on the other hand, has no problem in that department. Whether she's happy about that or not is a whole different story.

"I'm still surprised Ruby's wearing her dress," Yang comments as she keeps looking down at the old newspaper she and Weiss are holding.

"(Y/N) is horribly underdressed. If this was my date I would be disgusted."

"If this was your date you'd probably be as giddy as a little school girl," Yang fires back, smirking.

"I WOULD NOT!" Weiss shouts back, but quickly shuts her trap.

Yang and Weiss look forward, hoping you and Ruby didn't hear the Heiresses outburst.

"You gotta be quiet, Ice Queen," Yang whispers, scolding Weiss with a finger wag.

"That's gold, coming from you," Weiss hisses back.

Yang sighs.

"Why did you even come, anyway? What's your stake in this?"

Weiss' eyes widen at the question, but she quickly looks away.

"I don't have to tell you that," Weiss quickly shuts down.

She doesn't allow herself to look forward until she's sure her blush is gone.

"I just… wanted to see…" She mumbles to herself.

You lead Ruby to a nearby restaurant that you know. In fact, it's the same place you, Ozpin, and Glynda went to when you first came to Vale. You solemnly smile as you think back to that time. Glynda really didn't like you back then, not that she does now… then again she DID kiss you, albeit on the forehead. That's a pretty clear sign she ended her feud with you. Though that feud, to your knowledge, was mostly based on your dad. You don't really know why Glynda had a hatred for your dad… that's something you should inquire about.

Still, the food in this place was delicious so you bet this'll be a good place to take Ruby on a dinner date. It may be for the… more sophisticated people of Vale, but you and Ruby can at least act it for a short while. Ruby notes the place you're entering and stops you.

"(Y/N), this place is waaay expensive! You can't take me here!"

You wave her off.

"Psh, you're my girlfriend, nothing's too expensive for you… well, don't use that against me, okay?"

Ruby taps her chin with a mischievous grin.

"Hm… maybe."

You and Ruby enter the building and approach the waiter. He raises his brow at the sight of you two.

"Hey Ruby, stay here a second. Gotta, you know… confirm the reservation."

You leave Ruby and approach the waiter.

"Hey, so, table for two? Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're full at the moment."

Your face drops, almost making the waiter smirk.

"No, no, no, no, listen, buddy, pall, I think you have a table you juuuuust don't want to give us," you whisper, leaning a little closer.

"Sir, when I say there are no tables, there are no tables. It's unfortunate, but that's how it is. You're not the only gentleman on a date," he politely says, brushing off some lint on his shirt.

You quickly try to think of some way to get a table. You can't let Ruby know you lied… even if you did… but it was totally for her! No, that's also a lie. The thought of bribing comes to mind, but Ozpin probably wouldn't appreciate… OZPIN!

"You know," you clear your throat, making your voice deeper and more mature. "I AM the son of Professor Ozpin."

The waiter's mood quickly changes to one of slight distress.

"T-The headmaster of Beacon Academy?" He clarifies, a drop of sweat sliding down from his brow.

You confidently nod.

"The one and only. I don't think he'd be happy to know I was turned down at a place like this," you start whistling arrogantly, flashing a smile.

The waiter grumbles something to himself as he grabs two menus.

"This way."

You smile, spinning on your heel to face Ruby.

"Come on, we're good."

Ruby nods and quickly follows the man with you to the same back table you ate at before. He sits you both down, setting the menus in front of you both, then excuses himself for a few minutes.

As he heads for the tablet to register the new guests, he notices two more strangers walk into the restaurant. He quickly approaches the front and greets them.

"I'm sorry, but we really don't have a table right now. Perhaps ano-"

Weiss removes her hat for this short conversation.

"Not even for a Schnee?" Weiss inquires.

The waiter weighs his options but gives in by the end.

"Oh, of course, Ms. Schnee. You and your friend may follow me.

Weiss places the hat atop her head and nods at Yang.

"Nice one, Ice Queen," Yang smiles, patting Weiss' shoulder.

The waiter leads Weiss and Yang to a table not too far away from yours. They take a seat, Weiss drinking some of the prepared water, then bows her head to the waiter to dismiss them.

"Alright, now let's see what they do," Yang smirks, putting her full attention on you.

"It's weird, though… I wouldn't expect those two to be in a place like this," Weiss points out.

"So many people… this is kinda weird," Ruby nervously chuckles, looking around the room.

"Yeah… now I'm REALLY underdressed."

Ruby thinks for a moment, looking cute as she does it.

"Wait, if you knew we were coming here then why are you underdressed?" She innocently asks.

You blink twice, your stare goes blank but your mind is on full alert. You did not think of that at all. That's a pretty crucial part of your lie that you TOTALLY didn't even think about.

"I, uh… well, hehe, you know… I just, well… I don't have any nice clothes?"

"But you were wearing a suit at the dance."

You let your shoulders roll forward, hunching.

 _Goddamnit, Ruby…_

"Well, you know… it's… dirty. Yeah, dirty! You know how Dylan can be!"

Ruby places a finger on her chin, almost like she's just toying with you at this point.

"I was lead to believe he's quiet the neat and tidy guy."

You hunch even further, staring at her with squinting eyes and tight lips.

"You… are the worst."

"Aww," Ruby pouts. "That's not a very boyfriend thing to say."

You lean back, chuckling.

"You… can be just evil, can't you?"

Ruby shrugs, smiling with a bit of pride.

"I've been around Weiss a lot. I've learned."

You shake your head, laughing even more. As you look back at Ruby you realize some people are looking at you both. You ignore them and just focus on your beautiful girlfriend.

"Oh, I noticed you have your glove back," Ruby points out.

You lift your hand up to display the aforementioned glove.

"Yeah, Dior fixed it up for me. Apparently it can do more now."

"Ooooh," Ruby ogles the glove, her inner weaponista igniting. "What can it do now?"

You think on what Dior explained earlier.

"Well, I can now have a lot more control of the direction of the sheath. I might actually be able to control it like Ms. Goodwitch controls… anything she wants."

"That sounds really cool!" She cheers.

You grab the nearby glass of water and take a sip.

"So have you done any upgrades to Crescent Rose, lately? Last one I remember is the mod we got at the carnival."

Ruby nods enthusiastically, adjusting herself in her chair.

"Yeah, I made it even lighter for me without sacrificing hitting power! I'll be able to move and strike a lot faster for the tournament! On top of that I've really been testing my dust rounds."

"Didn't you already use those?" You bring up, drinking a little more.

She nods once more.

"Mhm, but now I'm stealing some of Weiss' to add some extra butt kicking power to them."

"Since you said 'stealing' I assume she doesn't know?"

Ruby nods, then quickly shushes you.

"And she doesn't need to."

"Need to know what?" You shrug.

You both smile at each other, soon breaking out into laughter. This time both you and Ruby notice that all these people are staring at you as if you're two delinquents, which… to be fair, you both are, but it's sad that you can't have an enjoyable conversation without being looked at funny. You somewhat slouch in your chair when you realize this, debating whether you two really belong here. Everyone is older, wealthier, and far more mature than you and Ruby. This only becomes more apparent when you notice Ruby become a little more timid.

"Hey, Little Red, what's wrong?" You pleasantly asks.

"They… they're staring at us… maybe we're too loud?"

You shrug.

"Maybe… okay, let's try and talk more… mature!"

She nods, on board with the idea.

…

…

…

Neither of you know how to really have a mature talk. There's nothing serious to talk about! Sure, there's what happened before with Harrier and the others but you've said everything that needs to be said. Any "proper" topics don't interest you two right now. You're here to have fun, here to bond further to make your relationship flourish! Being constricted by being proper and quiet really leaves a gaping hole in what makes you two have so much fun together. So… you come up with an idea.

"Hey Ruby, may I see your hand?"

She tilts her head, confused at why exactly you want to see it. You have a look in your eye like you're planning something, but she can't quite make out what it is. It can't be anything bad though, so Ruby places her trust in you and reaches for your hand. Your skin touches, sending small shivers through both of your arms. You smile at her, then close your eyes. You can't quite remember where this place is, but it isn't too far from your current location.

You finally lock onto your desired location and open your eyes. You look into Ruby's silver eyes and wink.

"I think you're gonna like this."

You _**leap**_ out of the restaurant, leaving small shadows in your wake.

Weiss and Yang start freaking out.

"Where did they go?" Weiss moans, resting her head on the table.

"Why did they leave? Where'd he take her? Oh if he thinks he can drag her to some motel an-"

"Yang," Weiss cuts in, noticing the firecracker's eyes shift red. "I don't believe they're doing that. Still, we have no idea where they are, now."

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"Wow…"

"Yeah."

"It's… pretty big."

"I mean, maybe. I'm sure you can handle it, though.

"Oh, it'll be no problem for me!"

"Okay, okay… feel it up… and…"

"THIS IS AWESOME!"

Ruby fires the gun and gets a direct hit on the dummies head. Ruby lets go of the sniper and throws her hand in the air, screaming in victory. She lands and gets ready for another shot.

"Alright, give me a challenge!" Ruby purrs, completely in the zone.

You snicker, moving to your gun and loading up.

"Alright, Little Red, you're on. Loser-"

"Loser becomes a slave!"

"But… that-"

"What? Chicken?" She smirks.

You sigh, shaking your head.

"Alright, that's your call. Ready… set…"

The green light flashes, signaling you to start. Ruby loads up, getting an expertly done head shot on the first dummy to pop up. You scoff, quickly shooting the next two that pop up in rapid succession. She scoffs at you.

"Ha, I let you get that!"

"Oh, sure! I'm surprised you can even shoot in those heels," you tease.

"I took'em off!" Ruby shouts, firing at a few more dummies.

The sounds of rifles firing fills the room, only rivaled by the shells falling out of the body and hitting the cold floor. You and Ruby stay neck and neck, though Ruby always has the slight edge. She does normally handle a sniper rifle so her skills are refined. You haven't used guns for at least a year, but you still know how to handle them. Still, you would rather not become Ruby's slave. Sure she won't make you do anything really weird or sexual, but you'd rather not have this title hanging over you. The worst she'd probably do is make you get her cookies whenever she wants.

You shoot for one of the dummies but you're caught off guard when another bullet ricochets with yours, knocking your bullet away whilst sending the opposing bullet to the dummy.

"Oh how dare you!" You shout.

"Not my fault you can't shoot," Ruby menacingly laughs, taking more shots.

You load up your gun and fire as quick and accurately as you can. Ruby's starting to gain the advantage with a blend of her semblance and pure skill. You're losing drastically and there's honestly not much you can do about it. You're quickly regretting ever agreeing to this bet. It's like competing against Ren in a silent competition with your mouth taped shut – you're still at a disadvantage. This becomes more and more clear as Ruby's points skyrocket, while yours remain at a steady pace. She's at least a dozen more than you now, and the timer is counting down.

But there's nothing you can do now. The timer rings, the dummies rest, and Ruby jumps.

"HAHA! I DID IT! IN YOUR FACE!" She leaps in front of you and shoves her finger right in your face, then jumps around. "I WON! YOU LOSE! HAHA- whoa!" Ruby missteps, forgetting she's wearing heels. You catch her mid fall with one arm slipping around her waist.

"Mm, won, huh? Guess I should just let the great victor fall," you smirk, slowly taking your arm back.

Ruby latches onto your arm for dear life.

"NO!" She squeals.

You chuckle, pulling her back to her feet.

"Alright, Little Red, you won. You can boss me around for… hm… let's say a week."

Ruby deviously smiles.

"A whole week… well, let's get started! Give me a piggy back!"

"What?"

"I don't wanna walk in these shoes anymore," she cheers, running to your back and hopping on.

Ruby wraps her legs around your waist and wraps her arms around your neck. She rests her head on your shoulder and sighs.

"Alright, let's go," she says drowsily.

You move your hands over her legs and start walking.

"Alright, I'll _**leap**_ us back."

Ruby shakes her head, rubbing your cheek and shoulder.

"Mm mm. We get to walk. I command it."

You snicker.

"Right, your majesty. I'll just walk to the pickup zone, then _**leap**_ us there. Fair?"

"Mhm, that's acceptable," she giggles.

"Oh, oh I'm so glad it's 'acceptable' to you," you jokingly criticize.

You carry Ruby out of the store, giving the owner a nod to thank him for his time. You exit the building and proceed down the street, keeping a relatively slow pace to appease your clingy red overlord. You can feel her body getting heavier as her leg and arm grip loosens. You compensate by gripping her legs gently so she stays in her position. Soon enough you hear cute snores erupting from the small head beside yours. It's almost impossible for you not to smile at the sleeping beauty beside you.

You turn the corner and continue your journey. Unknown to you, mostly because you're not paying attention, you pass by the restaurant you were at not too long ago. Just after you pass, Weiss and Yang exit, stumped and frustrated.

"I can't believe we lost him," Yang frowns.

"Oh please, you got a meal out of it. Don't whine."

Yang chuckles.

"Yeah, I guess that… hey," Yang grabs Weiss' shoulders and turns her towards you. "That's them!"

They watch a you keep Ruby on your back as you carefully walk, enjoying the night sky and cool breeze. She may be asleep, but you still appreciate this time you have with her. It's such an innocent time but it means a lot to you, and her, if she was awake. Though you're not the only ones part of this moment. Weiss and Yang follow behind, but… slowly they start to feel bad for seeing this. Yang can tell Ruby's asleep. She's carried her the same way dozens of times back at home. This should be your moment, your date, yet she insisted and butting in from a distance.

Yang stops Weiss, placing her hand on Weiss' upper chest.

"Hey, what's that for?" Weiss questions.

"Maybe… maybe we should head back. I think we got everything we needed."

"I… okay, I guess," Weiss stutters.

Yang looks back to you two one more time, smiling.

"Thanks, (Y/N)."

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Finally you appear at Beacon, shadows swaying off you and Ruby. You're standing in front of RWBY's dorm, proud that you've cut the habit of just appearing in people's rooms. You kick the door in place of a knock, but the result is the same. Blake answers, surprised you're back before her teammates. She looks at your shoulder, seeing the sleeping Rose.

"Busy night?"

"Meh, kinda. I'm a slave now," you casually say, entering the room and approaching Ruby's bed.

"A… slave?" Blake questions, getting her mind out of the gutter considering a very similar situation in her book.

"Yeah, I lost at a game so she can bully me around," you explain, placing her on her bed, then wiping your hands on your jeans. "Well, I won't take up any more of your time, my beloved Blake," you bow. "May you have a restful… rest!"

Before Blake can even respond you _**leap**_ out of the room, leaving dissipating shadows where you once were. Blake's ears twitch as some of the shadow touches her, giving her a very strange tingling sensation. It… was actually kinda nice.

"You can come out now," Blake giggles, looking to her bathroom.

The door opens and Dylan walks out.

"What? What's with the look?"

"You were scared," she teases, completely entertained by the notion.

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"That's untrue, I simply didn't want to deal with Slater's childish assumptions."

Ruby starts to mumble in her sleep before flipping over. Dylan crosses his arms.

"Perhaps we should take this elsewhere. Come on, I get a nice spot."

"What?" Blake questions as Dylan approaches the window. "Dylan we can't leave in the middle of the night."

Dylan opens the window and looks back at Blake.

"We're not leaving… we're just at a… higher altitude."

Dylan looks back outside and summons a platform of water, then hops onto it. He turns around and beckons Blake to follow. Blake chuckles at the act, but does follow Dylan.

"This isn't what I had in mind, but I suppose from fresh air can do us good."

Blake steps onto the platform and the water latches onto her feet for safety. Dylan lifts the two of them into the air, flying high and proud above Beacon Academy. They can see everything from their vantage point – Vale, the brilliant moon shining on the water, Mt. Glenn, everything.

"Wow… I've never seen it like this before. It's beautiful."

"Yeah…" Dylan sits down, leaning back on his two hands. "I come up here sometimes when Slater's being annoying."

"So why're you bringing me up here?" Blake teases, nudging him.

Dylan pushes back, chuckling.

"Well, nobody can interrupt us up here. We can just converse with no care."

The setting, the brilliance, everything takes over Blake's senses. She looks to Dylan who's staring out at the world in the happiest state she's ever seen him in. Soon a question pops into her head that was brought up some time ago. The question of who she's interested in, if she's interested in anyone. Dylan was one of those people mentioned, and now she doesn't know. She feels very safe right now, with him, up here.

But nothing can last forever, as something catches Dylan's eye. A small streak of red shoots out from the Forest of Foreverfall. That's a signal for him, he knows it.

"Hey, Blake… you know it is late. Perhaps you should get some sleep too."

"Hm? I was enjoying myself up here."

"Yeah, but…" Dylan stands up. "Perhaps we can have a raincheck. There's something I forgot to do. We'll do this later," he says with a reassuring smile.

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You appear in Ozpin's office to return the leftover lien he lent you. You don't expect him to be there, but it's unlikely anyone's going to break into his office and steal it. To your surprise, he's still in his chair, eyes on you.

"Ah, (Y/N). Did you have fun on your date?"

"Uh… heh… yeah…" You shake your head, ridding yourself of your bewildered state. "What are you doing awake? It's quite late," you speak, approaching Ozpin's desk and taking a seat.

"Yes, but there is always work for me to do, especially since our kingdom is hosting the Vytal Festival. Of course, your admittance is a little more paper work, but that's miniscule compared to other things."

You look down and rub the back of your head.

"Yeah… thank again for that. I won't let you down," you finish with a confident smile.

Ozpin chuckles, admiring your confidence.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you and Dylan fight as a team. Anyhow, what can I do for you? There must be a reason you dropped in."

His words spark your memory and you grab the envelope of lien and slide it across the table.

"Here. I only used a little over a hundred."

Ozpin chuckles, slowly pushing the envelope back to you.

"Keep it. Consider it an allowance, or reward. Whatever you find most fitting."

You reluctantly grab the envelope, holding it in front of you.

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

You shrug, then place the envelope back in your pocket. You can put the lien in your wallet when you return to your dorm.

"Can I ask you something?" You start, changing the subject.

"Of course."

"My dad… you once said he and Glynda were together."

"I did, yes. Why do you ask?" Ozpin takes a sip of his coffee as his intrigue heightens.

"What happened? What made them split up?"

Ozpin continues to drink, thinking carefully on how to answer this. He sees no reason to hide the truth on this subject, but this could easily be taken to a more delicate matter. Ozpin stands up and turns to his window looking out at Mt. Glenn.

"You've seen the statue of your father and uncle, correct?"

You nod.

"Yeah, they did something or something." You shrug. "Saved Vale or… something?"

"Hm… well, they captured a very ancient, very powerful Grimm in Mt. Glenn. Doing this requires a sacrifice…" He turns to face you. "A sacrifice your father was willing to pay."

You scratch your head.

"But… I'm alive. How did he die, but meet my mom?"

"Well, obviously he didn't really die like we all thought. He was considered killed in action for five years… but then he came to me…"

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 _Mt. Glenn's edges crumble as they do every so often. Random rocks and broken pieces trail down the mountain to fall at the base. This would be a regular occurrence if something wasn't forcefully pushing out of the mountain. A hand bursts from the rocks, attempting to latch onto anything it can. The hand soon clutches the rocks and forces more and more of itself out. Eventually an entire body tumbles out of the whole, rolling down the mountain. The man manages to stop himself, resting against the mountain and looking out at Beacon Academy._

 _Jet Slater, the Huntsman-in-Training who dived into hell to stop a menace, finally takes his first breath after so long. His clothes are torn and burned, all that's remaining is charred pants, his golden arm brace, and his weapon, Crimson Blaze. His beard is full and bushy, his hair long and unruly. He's sweaty, dirty, and an utter mess. Above all else, however, his muscles are tight and lazy after what felt like an eternity of stillness._

 _Jet allows fresh air to fill his body before attempting to move around to any degree. Lucky for him, Mt. Glenn's settlement isn't far. Food, rest, and transportation isn't far… though food is definitely what piques his interest the most at this time. He pushes off the mountain and starts stumbling down the incline. He's surprised that his body is still healthy considering him being stuck for so long. Though not confirmed, the only thing he can think of is a mix of Harrier's power and Jet's own semblance._

 _Either way, the settlement is not far and he needs to focus on recovering. He needs to return to Beacon, to Harrier, and Glynda._

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 _Jet steps off the airship and looks around Beacon Academy. It's been three days since he emerged from the mountain. The only thing he still has is his weapon. After revealing who he was the people of Mt. Glenn took him in and gave him a fresh set a clothes and a touch up. They really aren't Jet's style, now donning a plain black t-shirt, jeans, and a green jacket, but it works for covering his body. His hair is also trimmed back to its original look and his beard is completely gone._

 _Immediately something piques his interest. He doesn't recognize any of the students loitering around._

" _Hm… maybe some new students?" Jet shrugs. "Whatever, I might as well drop by the Headmaster's to get my schedule back. I wonder if Glynda will be mad at me for missing a few months of work," he chuckles to himself._

 _Jet slips his hands into his pockets and walks the grounds of Beacon. Other students recognize him, staring at the man who's been missing for so long. Jet has no idea who any of these people are, however, but Jet did have a reputation that proceeded him. Perhaps these are just new students that have yet to meet him. Something he'll correct soon enough._

 _Jet strolls to the tower, passing through the first set of doors and entering the elevator._

" _Huh…" Jet watches the floor count speed through. "Guess they improved this while I was gone. Used to take forever."_

 _The elevator comes to a smooth stop, dropping Jet off at his destination. Jet exits the elevator and enters the room where Ozpin is sitting. He looks up at his guess, then quickly drops what he's working on._

" _Jet?"_

 _Jet smiles wide as he widens his arms._

" _The one and only."_

 _Ozpin swiftly leaves his chair and approaches Jet for a comforting hug. The two break off and smile at this reunion._

" _Jet, I thought you were dead! We all did."_

 _Jet shrugs._

" _Well, you know how hard it is to kill me, right Oz?"_

" _Well, you have to give us credit, you've been gone for quite some time."_

 _Jet waves Ozpin off, stepping past him to look out his window._

" _Come on, don't flatter me. How long's it been? Three months? Five?"_

 _Ozpin goes deathly silent. He approaches Jet and places his hand on his friend's shoulder._

" _Jet… it's been five years."_

 _Jet spins around, his face completely changing to a panicked realization._

" _What? Five years?" He shouts. "How… why… what happened to everyone?"_

 _Ozpin sighs, pondering how to explain this to Jet. He gestures for the chair opposite of his desk as Ozpin takes his seat. Jet begrudgingly takes a seat, his leg unable to stay still from anxiety._

" _Well, everyone has moved on – graduated. Harrier is… somewhere. He was in Vale not long ago, and I believe he mentioned heading to Vacuo."_

" _What about Glynda?"_

 _Ozpin sighs, looking to his desk._

" _She's here at Beacon, teaching. But… she's…"_

" _Did I make her suffer?" Jet asks in the most serious tone Ozpin's ever heard._

 _Ozpin slowly nods._

" _She was not herself for some time, but she healed, eventually. You can see her if-"_

" _No," Jet firmly shakes his head. "I mean… I want… damn…" Jet huffs, his posture waning. "I don't know what I want."_

" _Well, I shall help you all I can. As far as I'm concerned, you're a full-fledged Huntsman. You can proceed onto that life, if you wish. Perhaps I can even help you find some new clothes?"_

 _Jet chuckles._

" _Thanks, Ozpin. I… I'll contact you another time, later… maybe."_

 _Ozpin bows his head._

" _I understand. As I said, I shall offer you all the aid I can."_

 _Jet slowly nods as he leaves the chair. His usual upbeat energy seems to be drained from him as he shambles back to the elevator. Ozpin can't imagine what he'll do now, but he knows he'll be fine. Slater's have always been survivors, even if part of that is due to their semblance._

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 _Jet approaches one of the classrooms, his mind now blank and unbiased. His sorrow and confusion has quickly washed away as it always has before. A side effect of his Semblance, for better or worse. He slightly opens the door and peers in to see a full classroom looking somewhat bored. Glynda is at the front of the class explaining different types of Grimm. She's… older… beautiful. Jet inherently smiles at seeing his former love's face, her voice._

 _But of course his mind thinks back to what Ozpin says. He is a very old wound… a wound that needs not be opened by him._

 _Jet closes the door, and, inturn, closes off their relationship for good._

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"So your father decided it was best to avoid Glynda. He went after Harrier… but Glynda soon learned of his survival," Ozpin speaks as he looks out his window. "They met once after that, but it hardly went well. The last time Glynda ever saw Jet was when… well, you know." He finishes, alluding to his death.

"I… had no idea. Man, my father really was a piece of work," you speak, shaking your head as you rest in the chair.

"Are you implying that you're not?" Ozpin chuckles.

"Hey! I… okay, fine, you got me there," you laugh, getting out of your chair. "Alright… well, thanks Ozpin – for the lien and story. Makes me wonder what other stuff my father did." You stand in silence for a moment but quickly realize you could do this on your own. You look to Ozpin and smile. "Thanks Ozpin, I'll see you later."

You wave before _**leaping**_ out of the room. Ozpin shakes his head as he smiles.

"The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree."

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Dylan hovers over the Foreverfall, scanning for the meeting location. He's truly antsy to see who's there, considering only one person knows of this place and they're dead. Dylan descends into the forest, the platform slowly getting smaller as he reaches the ground. It finally dissipates once his feet are mere millimeters from the ground, and he lands. He surveys the area to assure there are no Grimm or enemies he needs fret about.

He does feel one person nearby, and it's exactly who he expected. Aza Brine steps out from behind a tree to face her little brother. She's heeled in new clothes that are a replica of her old ones, if a tad darker.

"Aza… I thought you died, you idiot. Why would you blow yourself up like that?" Dylan shouts.

"To kill Slater, but… that's not what I'm here about, Dylan. Right now I'll be a sister, and not someone associated with the White Fang."

Dylan's taken back by this approach. This speech, the calmness, it reminds him of when they were younger. It reminds him of the Aza he used to look up to.

"Okay… what do you want?"

"I want you to leave Beacon, at least. I don't care if you rejoin the White Fang, but if you stay at Beacon we will become enemies," Aza threatens.

"I can't do that, Aza. Beacon is to me what the White Fang is to you. Why can't you just leave the White Fang?" Dylan pleads, taking a step closer.

"Because it's what I believe in Dylan… and I suppose you believe in what you're doing…" Aza sighs. "If it comes down to it, I will cut you down in the name of the White Fang. You understand that, right?"

Dylan nods.

"You understand I'll stop you from harming my friends."

Aza nods.

The two siblings stare at each other, their wills clashing like their elements.

"Take… take care of yourself, brother. I truly don't want to see you die," Aza declares, a tear rolling down her cheek.

She turns around and starts walking, leaving Dylan to watch his only family leave him behind. Dylan reaches out for her, but his voice won't utter a sound. He just watches as Aza walks away, and the sister he cares for so much leaves with her. He will never see his sister Aza Brine again. From now on, it will just be Aza Brine.

 **So this chapter was a lot of fluff with only some things being relevant, however I think you guys like seeing relationship fluff from time to time. I don't think I'll ever dedicate most of a chapter to it, but expect more moments for Slater and Ruby in the future. It is why you're reading this story, after all, for Ruby x Reader. Or maybe you actually like to content I'm providing, the changes, the original story, the… no? No, just Ruby x Reader, gotcha.**

 **Anyway, so it seems like I'll actually have to buy RWBY: Grimm Eclipse since it won the vote on Twitter. Yes, that story-line will be in Crimson Shadow, if a little tweaked for writing purposes. Yeah, now I'm actually spending money to provide this for you guys. Aren't I great? No? No, I'm not…**

 **FACT: For me, Blake Belladonna is the most difficult character to write so far. Something about her character is difficult. She's shown to be reclusive and serious, yet very comedic and cheerful. As a character, that is a great trait and it is nice to have a character who isn't easy to write (such as Weiss or Yang) but it also makes me think twice on her words and actions. I'd say Nora is second hardest, considering she switches between rational and ecstatic, thus her character is very situational.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72**


	24. Chapter 24: A Lesson

**Chapter 24: A Lesson… Not Really Learned**

The sky of remnant is generally a very clear one, only shrouded when nature takes its course or a Nevermore claims it as its territory. Today, the skies are home to one of Atlas militaries stellar flagships. Alongside the normal crew that maintains the order of the massive airship there is a fairly large group of Huntsmen-in-Training from the various schools gathered for the Vytal Festival Tournament in the next month. You, Dylan, RWBY, JNPR, ORKD, and plenty of other students are gathered on the bow. You're standing between Ruby and Dylan as everyone retains their attention on Ms. Goodwitch, who's leading this escapade.

"Reports showed that a large pack of Grimm were enclosing on the village down below. Atlesian Knights are already combatting the Grimm, and we will support them," Glynda prominently speaks.

You yawn, intertwine your hands behind your head, and slowly walk away from the pack. Your timing is just right so Glynda doesn't see you pass by her and reach her blind spot. Everyone in the group notices your departure and the majority keep watching you rather than looking at the speaker.

"I expect you to all work together. Remember, you signed up for this so there are no excuses," Glynda says, raising her finger to enforce her words. "Now…" She looks into everyone's eyes and notices their utter lack of attention towards her.

At the same time you reach the edge of the ship and look over the edge. All the way down is the village, Grimm, and robots. Just the sight of the black specks on the ground gets your heart pumping. You haven't had any action since your battle a week ago and you've been dying for something. Ruby and Weiss haven't even let you practice or take part of Glynda's class training. You swear they talked to Glynda because she hasn't even considered you when choosing battle partners. To that extent, you're surprised you even made it on this mission. Originally it was just you and ORKD, but the moment Dior mentioned it around Ruby she signed her team and JNPR up.

Still, the battle below seems mighty enticing. You look a little farther when…

"Mr. Slater, what are you doing?"

You quickly spin on your heel and smile innocently.

"Oh, nothing Ms. Goodwitch," you answer in a goody two-shoes tone. "Just looking at the fighting, you know, getting my bearings and everything."

Glynda rolls her eyes.

"I don't believe you. Come back here already."

You nod and take a step. Somehow your foot magically hovers over the ground and you start to fall backwards.

"Oh no, I'm falling. Noooooo," you sarcastically whine as you fall over the edge.

Glynda sighs, resting her head in her hands.

"Oh no, it was totally an accident!" You shout for everyone to hear.

Most of the students begin laughing at your antics, aside from Rogue, Ruby, Weiss, Dylan, and Blake.

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You plummet down to the ground, laughing at your own actions. You reach for your blade and realize it's not there.

 _Oh crap… right… we left them inside… well._

You flip over so you're facing the ship and throw your arm out.

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Returning to her students, the all the Huntsmen and Huntresses hear a rumbling in the ship. One of the doors finally open and a sheathed blade zooms through the crowd of students. Dylan leans his head to the side and dodges the sheathe passing him. He's dealt with that enough over the past week to know when that torture device is coming for him. It flies over the edge and straight down to you.

Dior smiles at his handiwork. Even being encased inside the ship, his genius allows the sheath to find you without causing major damage to the environment around it. Still, it's not a perfected craft yet.

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You spot your soulmate coming back to you after being separated for so long. Unfortunately it flies past you and towards the ground.

"Hey!" You whine, spinning back to facing the ground.

Unintentionally you move your wrist to the left which sends the sheath to the left. You raise your brow what you just saw. To your knowledge the sheath can only move forwards and backwards. A beautiful thought crawls into your head which you'll test right now. You flick your wrist to the right, and the sheath follows your command.

"Oh… oh hohoho… that's awesome. I love you," you gleefully say as you retract the sheath to you and give it a quick kiss.

You hold your sheath in your hand as you scan the area below. As far as you can see you don't spot any of Atlas' robots fighting the Grimm. Unfortunate for the people down there, but at least you don't have to worry about any metal heads possibly shooting at you. You do take interest in a King Taijitu prominently roaming through the large village.

"Target acquired. Alright, how do I do this? Should I say something as I land? Hm… I know Nora would be all like, 'SMASH!" Ruby would… hm, I do sorta like Nora's idea, though."

You unsheathe your blade and throw the sheath ahead of you, pushing it farther and faster with the glove. The sheath starts inching closer and closer towards the sound barrier as you push it to its limits. Finally it lands right on the white head of the Grimm, pinning it to the ground. You follow suite, landing closer to the Grimm's neck and cutting its head clean off in one fatal swoop. The ground below you crashes at your arrival, but you're unaffected thanks to your aura. You dance the blade between your fingers as you unstick your sheath from your target before it disappears.

"Meh, I like the silent entry. Not like anything about that was silent," you chuckle.

The majority of the pack turns their attention to you, which gives you a clearer idea of what you're dealing with. The majority are Beowolves with an Ursa littered here and there. To your surprise there's a Goliath further in the back. It's no problem for you, though, but this makes it clear why Ironwood's toys all got trampled. You won't be taken down so easily, though.

"Alright," you shout, gathering the attention of the Grimm. "I'm happy you all enjoyed your entrees, but the meal is about to begin. If you need a moment to prepare, please do so. I have all day."

As you speak the other half of the King Taijitu prepares to attack. Evidently you forgot the second head during your entrance, and it's making full use of that. It readies itself then strikes, engulfing you in its mouth. Instead of it feeling a human struggling to free itself, the Grimm feels someone standing atop its head.

"Well, looks like someone's impatient. Hungry, huh?" You chuckle. "But gluttony is frowned upon, big guy," you tap your foot on his head.

The King Taijitu throws his head around to try and shake you off, but you decide to get off on your own accord. You leap off of him, executing a few extravagant flips as you unsheathe your sword. You assure you descend atop an unsuspecting Beowolf and drive your blade into it as you land. The Taijitu pursues you instantly, pushing past a few Beowolves to make you its dinner. You slide under the head of the snake holding your sword up so the snake voluntarily tears its underside open as it attacks you. You unstick your sword and roll onto your side, flipping a few times to gain distance and get to your feet. The Taijitu disappears second after.

"See, that's what happens when you," you move your hand behind you and expertly stab a Beowolf through the maw as it attempts to get you from behind. "Are too eager, sheesh," you turn yourself around to see the dead Beowolf. "Did you NOT see the lesson your friend just demonstrated. I mean, I always ignore lessons, but, hey, Slaters' gonna Slate," you shake your head with a smile.

The herd of Beowolves growl at you as they circle your position. You smile at them all. This is going to be your kind of fun. You attract your sheath to your side, holding both segments of your weapon.

"Alright, let's see what I can do with this."

You jump forward, flipping around so your feet are facing the Beowolf. You kick him right in the stomach and push him to the ground, now standing on it. You swiftly decapitate it then leap back towards the oncoming group. They leap for you but only manage to grab shrouds of shadow where you once were. You stand behind then, patting your mouth as you yawn. You toss the sheath and begin controlling it, making it pass by a Beowolf and latch onto its stomach, pulling it closer to you. You steady your blade horizontally as you drag the Beowolf towards it.

"How low can you go?" You chant to yourself, having fun with it all.

The sheath pushes past your blade and cuts the Beowolf in two, both halves flopping near your location.

"Hm… not very low, apparently." You look up and see a Beowolf leaping for you. "Whaop!"

You _**step**_ to the side, completely dodging the Beowolf's attack. You look back to the village and notice many of the Grimm are still focused on it. You need to draw their attention away and to you, even if that does mean more Grimm following you. You _**step**_ on top of one a building and scan the area. Most of them are in on condensed area with one or two littered about. All you have to do is gather their attention. Easy enough; you're a professional in the field of annoyance. You leap high into the air and throw your sheath down. Oddly enough the Ursa you were aiming at looks up with his mouth open, allowing your sheath to enter his body fluently.

"Oh, huh… that actually works out."

You flick your wrist to the side to send the Ursa flying into a group of Beowolves, crushing some of them between a building and the spiky Ursa. You flip your whole body frontwards as you send him in that direction, zooming away into another Ursa. You land between a few Grimm and easily dispatch them with a quick crescent slice, cutting the Beowolves down to size. You spot the Goliath marching towards you and decide to have a little fun with it. You take the Ursa and start slamming it into the Goliath's face over and over. You start laughing as you do this purely due to how funny it looks.

"If Dylan could see me now… Haha, he'd totally-"

You front flip high into the air, dodging a Beowolf. You throw your hand towards him so the Ursa collides with him and hits another group like a bowling ball. You land above the Goliath's trunk and spring off of it, knocking it back a foot or two. You _**step**_ over the Ursa and Beowolf, coming down on them with a spinning attack. The Ursa dissipates and your sheath returns to your belt.

"You complete me," you smile, looking down at your accessory.

Being a true threat to the Grimm, they all begin to converge on your location. You roll your wrist as you see all the Beowolves, the two remaining Ursas, and the Goliath close in on your position. All you can do is smile at the sight.

"You know, I'd absolutely love to just mess around with you guys but I'm sure my fellow students will be landing any minute now, and… well I think you'd rather be killed by me then some of those other ones. That Rogue girl, for instance, she can be quite scary, believe you me." You huff, puffing your cheeks at the dreaded thoughts.

Of course the Grimm care little for what you say and instead opt to rip you apart. Beowolves howl before getting on all fours and charge you. You snicker at their actions and decide to stop messing around. You _**step**_ to the outside of their circle and dash forwards. You swing your sword with expert precision as you cut through half a dozen Beowolves before making your way back to the center. You keep sliding across the ground as you approach more Beowolves. You switch to a reverse grip style and proceed from there. You _**step**_ above the first Beowolf, spin yourself forward, and cut the Beowolf evenly in two. You turn around and cut another Beowolf's arm off, then follow the momentum for a swift decapitation. You leap towards one, kicking it in the stomach then springing off his face to drill into another's stomach.

The Goliath charges you, catching both you and the Beowolf in his tusk and throwing you into the air. You push off the Beowolf and smirk.

"Ha! You didn't even-"

A large caw erupts from behind you, drawing your attention. A Nevermore comes down upon you, catching you in its beak. You manage to lock yourself in its maw by holding its top beak with your left arm and pressing down with your feet.

"Very clever, I didn't even see you," you compliment.

You wind your arm back and slice in its maw, releasing a sonic wave into the Grimm. The Nevermore struggles to remain in the air, which gives you a chance to jump out of its mouth. You land easier than the Nevermore did, but you're immediately attacked by more Grimm.

The waves keep coming, but they never even get a hit on you. You soon come to a point where more Grimm have arrived, attracted by the battle. You scan the overwhelming force of Grimm around you to see how many new arrivals there are. You need to finish this fast or Ms. Goodwitch will have your head. You stand up straight, casually, and toss Crimson Blaze into your left hand.

"I guess you've done well enough to earn this. Normally I wouldn't have to use a technique this powerful on Grimm like you, but…" You breathe in through your teeth as you continue your jester-like act. "I'm on a tight schedule. I'm sure you all understand."

You cut your hand then return Crimson Blaze to it. Blood flows through the blade and shifts the black steel into a deep crimson look. You twirl the blade in your hand once more until it's facing the ground, then you plunge it deep into the earth. Blood seeps out from the blade onto the ground, expanding until it encompasses all the Grimm around you. You look up at the Grimm in front of you and smile.

"Begone."

The red floor erupts in near invisible spikes of blood that tears through every Grimm at such a rapid pace. They howl as their bodies are torn apart by the unstoppable barrage of blood coming from their feet. Within ten seconds all the Grimm are torn to shreds, with what's left quickly evaporating. You pull your blade out of the ground and sheathe it.

"Yep, still uses a lot of blood. Good thing I don't need that for anything else, like… ha… aaaaaaah thank god Yang isn't here," you whisper under your breath.

You intertwine your fingers behind your head and relax. All you have to wait for is everyone to arrive and you'll be fine… or you could just return to Beacon before Ms. Goodwitch catches you. That'd keep you alive for a few more hours, at least. The idea does sound solid in you-

"Mr. Slater," a prominent, angry voice shouts.

Your body tenses and your eyes shoot open. You slowly look towards the source where Ms. Goodwitch and the rest of the students are. The young ones are all laughing at your impending destruction.

"O-Oh heeeeeeey," you smile, letting your hands fall only to clap as you approach them. "I'm sooooo glad you found me, like, I fell… and then there were Grimm. I mean, I fell! I know!" You throw your arms in the air, then cross them and shake your head. "I really have to work on my balance; it's severely lacking."

You open one eye and look up at Ms. Goodwitch. Her arms are crossed with one finger tapping on her arm. She's staring at you with no mercy or belief. You close your eye, hoping that if you don't see her she can't see you.

"Hey… where are the Grimm?" One student points out as they examine the area.

"Or the General's Knights?" Another brings up.

"I did nothing to the Knights!" You shout, raising one hand but keeping your eyes closed.

"And the Grimm?" Someone shouts from the back.

Everyone who knows you, including ORKD and Ms. Goodwitch, know the answer to that question. You open your eyes and move your hands to your hips.

"I talked to'em. Nice ones, actually. We're going on an ice-cream date tomorrow."

"So you'll take them on a date, huh?"

"Rogue," you huff, holding the bridge of your nose. "Now? Really..?"

"He took me on a date," Ruby smugly smiles.

"DON'T MAKE THIS WORSE FOR ME!" You explode.

Ms. Goodwitch clears her throat, gathering the attention of everyone.

"Well, it seems we only served to provide a trip outside the Kingdom for you. Everyone return to the ship. You, Mr. Slater," she turns to you with a venomous look. "We will speak once we're back at the school."

You hunch your shoulders, pouting. Ruby approaches you and pats your arm.

"You tried."

"I always do. Welp," you roll your shoulders then wrap an arm around your shorter girlfriend. "Guess we should go. I can tell you how I totally made friends with all those Grimm."

Ruby giggles.

"Oh, I can't wait to hear it."

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"You jumped off my airship?" Ironwood repeats in disbelief.

You shrug in an over exaggerated manner.

"I mean… to be fair nobody was down there anyway. I took charge of the situation, I'd say," you respond, smacking your chest like a soldier.

Ironwood and Ozpin share a look, then return their gaze to you. They're both serious and, admittedly, intimidating, making you shrink in your seat.

"(Y/N), I realize you like to do things on your own… which is why I'm going to send you on a mission as punishment," Ozpin decides.

You scratch your head at his words.

"I… okay? How does this… what am I going to be doing?"

"There's someone who needs an escort, and they've requested some professionals. You'll be sent alongside another team to escort him through Vale to the border of Vacuo where you'll trade him off."

You stand up and stretch your arms in the air.

"Sounds simple enough. Can I guess the team?" Ozpin lightly shrugs, giving you the okay. "Team RWBY?"

Ozpin shakes his head.

"No. You'll be alongside team JNPR for this mission."

"Oh… well, that's still cool," you say, spinning on your heel and heading to the elevator.

"Remember, (Y/N). Jaune is your leader. You can't go around making decisions for the group."

You spin around, saluting while facing Ozpin, then return to your path. You enter the elevator and let it take you away.

Ozpin rests his head in his hands, huffing. Ironwood merely chuckles.

"I have a feeling he'll do well in the tournament."

"Yes, but I have a feeling that he won't let his partner do anything." Ozpin leaves his chair and looks out his window. "He may have learned the lesson but he's had a hard time applying it. He still can't function in a team properly."

Ironwood moves beside Ozpin, holding one hand in the other behind his back.

"That is a lesson even Jet perfected. But, you never know. He is still a kid, and maybe you can teach him a thing or two?" Ozpin raises his brow at his old friend. "Well," Ironwood begins to clarify. "He is 'your son.' Would it not be fitting for a father to teach their son?"

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You casually march your way through the grounds of Beacon, avoiding Rogue at all costs, and return to your building. You head straight for JNPRs dorm and, once there, knock on the door. Pyrrha is the one to answer.

"Hello!" She greets, cheery as always.

"Heya, Pyrrha! So apparently I'm accompanying you on your next mission."

"Oh, well I was just about to join my team to go."

"Lucky me, huh. May I walk with such an elegant and beautiful woman like yourself?" You ask, changing your voice and bowing in front of the Spartan.

Pyrrha giggles.

"Of course, I'd love your company."

You and Pyrrha leave the dorm and make your way out of the building and towards the airpad where a Bullhead is waiting. You wave at Jaune, Nora, and Ren who are waiting for their last teammate. Of course Nora is blabbering on about something or another, but she's cut off by Ren when he sees you coming.

"Hello, (Y/N), Seeing us off?"

You shake your head.

"No, actually. I'm tagging along for your mission!"

"Oh, cool!" Jaune pipes up. "We get to see the two best in action!"

"Well, hopefully our journey won't be filled with battle," Pyrrha laughs.

"Well, if it is then maybe (Y/N) can do what he did earlier," Jaune chuckles.

You wave your finger in front of Jaune in a scorning manner

"Hatatata, don't get lazy on my account, Jaune. I might just fight you guys along the way to keep you on edge."

Jaune looks at you with slight terror.

"You… you're kidding, right?"

You dramatically shrug, walking to the Bullhead.

"We'll see," you chuckle. "Come on, let's get it going."

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The Bullhead sets down outside Vale at a small outpost for Beacon Academy Huntsmen. An outpost is giving it some credit, though. It's more just a clearing with a single tent. Apparently the teacher is always there for students but you've never heard of this girl before… then again you didn't ask for their name. You were told that the convoy had already started moving and you five are supposed to catch up to it.

That's what you're doing right now. The five of you run, Jaune being at the head of the group with Nora and Ren opposite to each other in the middle, followed by you and Pyrrha paralleling them. It's fairly easy to navigate thanks to the linear dirt road and Ren noting the fresh tracks. It takes you guys little time to catch up to the convoy, as Jaune spots it going up a small hill. It's very simple looking, being a horse drawn carriage covered in a white fabric. You all pick up the pace to catch up, which is a simple task seeing as they're moving at a relatively slow pace.

"Hey!" Jaune calls out as your group catches up.

The horse slow to a stop and a man hops out of the front. He pets the horse before meeting with you all. He's of average height, being only a bit taller than you, with proper black hair and slightly darker complexion. His clothing opposes his hair, however, as he's wearing extremely casual clothing that blends well with the mode of transportation.

"Oh, you must be the Huntsmen assigned to me," he smiles, taking the time to shake everyone's hand. "My name's Neru. I assume you already know your task?"

"We're to escort you to the border," Jaune confidently answers.

"As simple as jobs go, eh?" Neru chuckles. "Well, get in the back. I'll drive for now," he says as he makes his way back to the front. "Oh, does anyone here know how to drive a carriage?"

You raise your hand.

"Yeah, I can."

Neru clicks his tongue, smiling at you.

"Then we'll be trading places when the night comes. Get some rest."

He saddles up in the driver's seat whilst the five of you find space under the fabric. It's not very spacious, but there's room for three people to sit and two to lie down. You hop in first, laying down on one of the makeshift beds.

"Ah, this'll be a cake walk," you declare as you get comfy in your seat.

Ren, Nora, and Jaune sit along the sides. Pyrrha lays next to you, placing her weapons beside her.

"Hopefully it will be a smooth mission. I'll get some rest too and help guard during the night," Pyrrha plans.

"Right. The rest of us will take care of things until then."

You set Crimson Blaze between you and Pyrrha, resting it with her weapons. You lay on your back and rest your head on your hands.

"Hey Neru, can I ask a question?" You shout loud enough for him to hear it.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why do you need a guard, anyway?"

JNPR look between you and Neru during the awkward silence. Originally they assumed it was in case of Grimm, but his silence places slight doubt in all of them.

"Well… you know, Grimm, bandits; the roads aren't too safe anymore."

You close your eyes.

"Alright, just curious."

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Already someone starts shaking you, disrupting your sleeping. You just closed your eyes and people are already annoying you. You open your eyes and look at Pyrrha, the one shaking you. Immediately you notice the darkness around you, contrary to the light that surrounded you mere minutes ago.

"It's our turn. Come on," she whispers.

You look around and see Nora and Ren laying down on either side, with Jaune being where Pyrrha once was. You rub your eyes as you get on your knees, turning towards the driver's seat.

"Sheesh, I must have slept like a baby," you yawn, moving out of the back.

Neru notices you coming and quickly scoots out of the way. You take his place, grabbing the ropes and getting a handle on the horse.

"They're at a steady pace so far. You'll have to give the horse a break in a few hours for some rest. She'll let you know," he smiles.

You nod to acknowledge his words, so he slips into the back and takes your bed. Pyrrha leaves the back and sits beside you, taking a look around the area.

"It's peaceful at night."

"Yeah, I guess so," you chuckle. "Perhaps we're just lucky. Either way, I'm sure you and me could take down any Grimm that attack."

"Indeed, though from what you displayed earlier you don't need us," she teases. You both chuckle but silence quickly returns only to be broken by Pyrrha. "Why do you act on your own, (Y/N)? You have a teammate in Dylan, and you have friends in us."

You huff, keeping an eye on the road.

"Force of habit, maybe?" You answer, looking at Pyrrha for a moment with a shy smile, then return your eyes to the road. "Or maybe because I couldn't sit back and wait for everyone. I mean, I took them all out before you all got there. Hell, I could have killed them all long before if I wasn't… messing around," you preach.

"Or maybe you wanted to get away from Rogue?" Pyrrha giggles.

"Huh… you heard about that?" You ask, contorting your face.

"I did. Seems you have very interesting admirers."

"Well, only two, really."

Pyrrha lightly shakes her head, laughing internally at the obliviousness of you and Jaune. It's definitely a guy thing, but it adds to both of your charm for sure.

"Still, maybe waiting for your friends would be a better idea. What would happen if things went bad?"

You lick your bottom lip as your eyes drift to the left, opposite Pyrrha.

"It… won't. I mean come on, Pyrrha, you're talking about me!" You speak in a more confident tone. "The only thing I can die from is Ruby and them. No Grimm can take me down. Same goes for you, you know," you turn to her, smiling. "People say you're close to a one woman army too. What could beat you?"

"You," she quickly answers.

You pout.

"Fair point. Hehe, just makes me think…"

"About?" Pyrrha tilts her head as she asks.

"I wonder who could beat us if we worked together."

Pyrrha hoists her elbow on her leg and taps her chin.

"Hm… I don't know. Probably all your jealous admirers."

You both laugh.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to see Little Red angry. Who knows what she would do."

"I'd be more worried about Yang if I were you."

"They both scare me, honestly," you smirk.

You and Pyrrha continue talking for some time as the journey goes on. Thankfully no Grimm attack you for the entire ride. Funny enough, after a few hours, Pyrrha falls asleep on you, her head resting on your shoulder. You don't really mind it since you can take care of the driving and, worst comes to worst, you can wake her up at any point. The only problem now is that horse is becomes restless. You immediately think back to what Neru said and realize it's time to take a break. You lead the horse off the path and into a clearing right beside the stone road for a rest.

You carefully lay Pyrrha along the bench so she can sleep, then hop off. You free the horse of all its constraints and let it find a spot to sleep. As it does that, you grab some of the supplies tied along the side of the wagon. You really don't know if this is where the horse's food is, but it's just an educated guess. You shuffle through the bags on the left side, finding rations more fitting for humans and Faunus rather than a horse. You _**leap**_ to the other side where you find more fitting food for your companion.

Grabbing some food and water, you make your way to the horse and lay it all out for him. Surprisingly the horse doesn't care for the food right away. Instead its ears are up as it scans the area. You rub its side, looking around.

"You alright, buddy? Is something out there?" You ask, keeping the horse as calm as you can.

Soon enough the horse looks down at his provided meal and digs in. You shrug it off as you keep petting the beast. You leave it soon after and lean against the wagon, eyes closed but mind wide open. Everyone but you is asleep so you're the only guardian of this camp.

So you remain silent, practicing something you haven't done in a long time – spatial awareness. True, you're always using this, but your current situation provides a perfect time to practice. You take in a deep breath and really open your mind. You imagine your entire surroundings from memory. The horse eating away, which you can still hear. The slight snores of your peers inside the wagon helps your imagination. The short tweets of the birds, rustling of small animals through the trees. Everything adds to your perception of the environment. You can imagine everything within a fair distance, even if creatures move or leaves break off from their branch. You know and see it all.

This is one of your favourite techniques you learned whilst in Atlas, and it was a stepping stone to your advanced shadow sparing which you haven't done in a while. You were somewhat of a prodigy when it comes to spatial awareness, which, now having your semblance, seems like that talent was a hint to your eventual Shadow Transmission. That could be another reason why you managed to master your ability so quickly, despite what Ms. Goodwitch says.

So you remain as silent and as still as possible whilst the world around you proceeds as normal. You have no idea how much time passes before you hear the horse awaken from its sleep. You open your eyes and approach the horse to see how she's feeling. You quickly refill her water and food, which she consumes rather quickly. With the horse rested you saddle up and hit the road once more though you take an awkward position at the helm to let Pyrrha sleep peacefully.

It's a silent ride until the sun starts to rise and your crew begin to rustle in their sleep. Pyrrha is the first to wake. She pushes herself up into a sitting position then wipes her eyes.

"Oh… I fell asleep…" She yawns.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We're almost there, anyway."

Pyrrha looks back into the wagon and sees everyone start to slowly wake up.

"No trouble last night?" Neru speaks in a groggy voice.

"Not at all. In fact, your horse picked up the pace. We should be there… meh, in an hour. Maybe less."

Immediately you hear a shot from the trees and feel the wagon shake.

"Or earlier," you huff, setting the ropes aside and leaping off the wagon and landing closer to the forest.

"(Y/N)!" Pyrrha shouts, grabbing her weapons and hopping out of the back.

"Don't bother, Pyrrha. You four stay with Neru and get him to the checkpoint. I'll deal with these ones."

Jaune exits next, positioned beside Pyrrha.

"But we're supposed to-"

"Do you want to waste time?" You shout, glaring back at him.

You raise your hand causing Crimson Blaze to fly out of the wagon over everyone's heads and landing right in your hand. You swing your sheathed blade, blocking another bullet headed for the wagon.

"I'll catch up later. Go!"

Jaune rests his hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, getting her attention.

"He's right, we should keep moving."

Pyrrha looks back to you with slight worry. You can take care of yourself, but… She shakes her head and heads into the wagon. Neru takes the helm, snapping the ropes to make his horse gallop.

Two men leave the forest, both dressed in black leather. The first and most notable one is around your height with short, messy ginger hair and sparkling blue eyes. He doesn't look special at all, but something about him catches your eye. He has two golden pistols on each hand. The other has a facemask that only reveals his brown eyes.

"So much for that, Vani," the masked one remarks.

"It's fine. We'll kill this one and chase him."

You drop your sword, letting it attach to your hip. You cross your arms and lean forward, a wide smile on your face.

"Oh man, I can't believe you guys are bad. Your outfits are soooooo incognito," you joke.

Vani rolls his eyes before aiming one pistol at you and fires. To their surprise you evaporate into shadows.

Vani raises his brow at your disappearance.

"You know…" Vani and the masked one look behind them, seeing you leaning against a tree. "Your aim could be better. That wouldn't have hit me if I didn't move."

Vani growls, aiming both pistols at you and unloading. Once again you _**leap**_ out of the way, appearing right above Vani, legs spread over the guns. You tap his head lightly with your knuckles, clicking your tongue each tap. Vani pulls back his arm to fire at you, but you're gone by the time he's ready.

You appear in front the masked assailant with your back to him. With one swift movement you backhand him, sending the poor fellow flying through the air until he slams into a tree. You look behind you and sigh.

"A one pump chump, huh?" You shake your head. "Shame."

You look back to Vani with a playful smirk.

"What about you? How many will it take?"

Vani growls, aiming at you yet again and unloading. You chuckle, _**stepping**_ towards him in a zig-zag pattern whilst he tries to get a shot on you. Finally you disappear from sight leaving the shooter to frantically look around for you.

"Who do you think you are?" He snarls. "You think you can make a fool out of Vani-La Tawny?"

"Probabl- no, most definitely," you nod, appearing right in front of him.

Vani hisses through his teeth before swinging his gun at you.

"Oh, my shoe's untied," you comment, kneeling down right before it hits you.

Vani uses his other gun to try and smash your skull in, but you _**leap**_ a few feet away.

"Phew, sorry, I needed to do that."

Vani attempts to run at you, but his feet get caught and he falls flat on his face. From the dirt he can hear you laughing from your belly. He flips over and looks at his feet. They're tied together.

"I… I… oh my god that was the best thing I've ever seen," you manage to say before bursting into even more laughter.

Vani shoots his laces, freeing him from your childish trap, then turns to fire at you. You're not there, of course, so he quickly gets to his feet, aiming his guns in both directions to cover the most ground. His heart is racing and his breath is heavy. He has no idea what kind of power you have or how you're managing to make such a fool out of him. Nobody's been able to match him like this before, and you're acting like an idiot who isn't even trying.

"People really never do look up, do they?"

Vani looks up, seeing you suspended in the air. Your feet are latched onto your sheath while you push it away from you. It's a perfect balance that keeps you hanging in the air, though your jacket and shirt are suffering too. Vani points his guns at you and fires. Instead of using your semblance, you let yourself fall to evade the bullets. Vani predicts where you'll land and fires there instead.

You spin your body as you land, the bullets grazing your clothing. You land on one hand, then spring yourself back and onto your feet, a smile still plastered on your face.

"You know, I really don't have to use Shadow Transmission all that much, but it's REALLY funny to see you act up like you are."

"What are you?" He shouts, his veins showing through his skin from frustration.

You attach your weapon to your belt then shrug.

"I'm just… (Y/N). I'm also the one who was tasked with guarding the man you attacked, so…"

"You don't understand. It's my job to kill that man."

You let your arms fall to your side as you give an intimidating smile.

"And it's my job to protect him. I wonder who's gonna fulfill their contract."

Vani sneers at your words, but the truth is laid out. This is a botched mission with you in the way; not to mention those other two he saw with Neru. Vani holsters his guns and looks to you.

"Are you going to kill me?"

You laugh, waving your arm at him.

"No way, just piss off and we're good. Make sure to take Mr. One Pump with you too," you request as you start walking to where the cart had raced off to. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Vani-La Tawny. Maybe we'll fight again sometime… and maybe your aim'll be a bit better," you mention, looking back at him with a wink.

You take a few more steps before _**leaping**_ a few miles ahead. You hear a commotion behind you so you turn around to face it. You're immediately faced with a running horse.

"GAH!"

You jump to the side, narrowly avoiding a head on collision. The horse slows down and so does the wagon it hauls. You and Neru stare at each other in complete silence.

"Heya."

"How… did you…"

You wave your hand at him.

"Oh, you know, secret Slater magic," you answer as you hop in the back of the wagon.

The wagon starts moving once again as you take a seat next to Ren.

"I assume you handled it well?" Ren speaks.

"Oh, yeah, it was easy."

"I'm glad you came out of it okay. Are you sure you don't want to rest until we get there?" Pyrrha says.

You shrug, slipping off the bench and onto the floor.

"Sure, why not."

You settle into one of the bed rolls and rest.

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When you finally start feeling something it's… odd. For some reason you feel like a baby or a child. Your eyes slowly open and the first thing you see is Pyrrha, from a low angle. You start to look around more and realize you're actually being carried by the Spartan.

"Um… Pyrrha?"

"AH!" She yelps in fear, accidenttaly dropping you.

"Ow," you whine, rubbing just above your tail bone.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha whines, holding her hands close to her mouth.

You stand up, still rubbing, and look around. All of JNPR is here but there's no wagon.

"What happened?" You ask.

"We made it to the checkpoint, but there was nothing to pick us up. We're… walking," Jaune sighs.

"You wouldn't wake up so we had to carry you!" Nora elaborates further. "I wanted to do it at first but nobody would let me."

You raise an eyebrow to which Ren quickly answers.

"She's not quite as gentle as Pyrrha," he whispers.

You rub your eyes, nodding your head in acknowledgement.

"Well, I guess I'll bring us back…" You huff. "Five people… I think I can do it. Load up."

All of JNPR rest their hands on your shoulders, two on each. You close your eyes and dissociate yourself from your body, flying through nature to find your destination. In less than a minute you lock-on to Vale. It's not quite as far as you thought, making you wonder how long Pyrrha was carrying you for. Either way, you _**leap**_ the group back to Vale. You instantly fall to your knee, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" Jaune asks, kneeling down beside you.

"Yeah… yeah… I just… that was a lot, you know?" You smirk, though in obvious distress.

You push yourself off your knee and stand once more.

"We'll report to Ozpin. You get some rest," Pyrrha suggests, to which her team agrees to.

You nod.

"Alright, I think I'll-"

"Oh, (Y/N)!" Yang shouts, running towards your group. "Just who I was looking for! I have a favour I want to ask!"

You scratch your nose and yawn once more before answering.

"Oh? What's up?"

"Well, I want to practice firing at multiple targets. I was wondering if you could use your Shadow-thing to help out. Ice Queen doesn't want to 'waste Dust on such a menial task,'" Yang mocks Weiss. "And Blake's semblance won't do the trick here."

You sigh, rubbing the back of your neck.

"I mean… I guess I can. Short range shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Yang smiles, punching your arm.

"Thanks. Lets get going!" She says, beckoning you to follow as she starts walking away.

"Why do I get the feeling you just want to shoot at me because I'm dating Little Red?"

"Whaaaaat? No way. Besides, you're supposed to dodge. That being said if I manage to get you, well, that's totally your fault and I won't be held responsible for that. Just dodge, okay?" She smiles after sadistically speaking.

You nervously chuckle, hoping you can actually dodge in your current state. You give a quick wave to your other friends before heading to your doom.

 **Alrighty guys, I hope you enjoyed! Believe it or not this was an important chapter. You might not know why now, but you will later on. I'm going to do a few of these… more fun chapters, I'll say. That's not saying the regular chapters aren't fun, because they are, but these are just little fun, condensed stories that I can mess with. That being said the Grimm Eclipse story line is coming soon as well. After seeing what the game has to offer story-wise I know there will be some major changes. Just, uh, think of it as the Crimson Shadow version of Grimm Eclipse, or the non-game version. You won't be fighting waves of enemies every two minutes, don't worry.**

 **Also this is my first chapter after Volume 4's finale! I won't say anything incase any of you only watch it on YouTube, but I have all of Volume 4 planned out already. It… really wasn't a hard one to plan for, to be honest. If anything I'm just hyped for Volume 5. I'm actually most happy that we got to see what Mistral looks like! It's probably the most intriguing city out of the four, to me, and I can't wait to explore that place. But alas, we're only in Volume 2.5 so we're far from that. Let's just hope I don't catch up to the show, else Crimson Shadow will be put on hold.**

 **Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this little adventure. I'll see you all next time!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72**


	25. Chapter 25: A Huntsman's Code

**Chapter 25: A Huntsman's Code**

Ruby snuggles into you closer, shifting the blankets under you to a point that actually irritates your hip slightly. Though the balance between that and having your adorable girlfriend so close to you… it's worth it. You're reading the famous book that first really connected you and Ruby as you two cuddle, however you have your suspicions that she's only snuggling with you so intently to make up for Yang sending you through a wall. Yang said it was an accident but it really wasn't. Though it's not her fault Ruby still feels the need to make up for her sisters actions and to be there for her loving, injured boyfriend.

You set the book down and wrap your hands around Ruby, laying your head on hers. The feel of her silky hair feels smooth against your chin.

"You know, I'm really not that hurt," you whisper before kissing her head.

"I know… but I… like being with you," she blushes, hiding her face deeper into your shirt.

"I suppose I can put up with you too."

She looks up at you, pouting. You take this moment to quickly kiss her.

"You know I'm kidding."

Ruby looks away from you, her silver eyes fidgeting as she thinks. She quickly grabs your shirt and pulls you into another, deeper kiss that lasts much longer than the first one. When you break off Ruby giggles, blushing and giddy.

"I… I kinda like kissing," she shamefully admits.

You kiss her forehead and chuckle.

"Yeah… you're not too bad at it either."

"We have been practicing," she happily says, snuggling even closer to you.

"I don't think your sister would approve of it, though."

"I don't much appreciate it either," Dylan speaks from his own bed.

You and Ruby look over at him lying in his bed. Ruby blushes even harder as she nervously chuckles.

"Heh, sorry Dylan. I forgot you were here," you honestly speak.

"I was enjoying the story you were reading, but I see this is more of a 'couples time,'" he pushes off the bed and begins walking to the door. "We'll see each other later," he says before leaving the room.

"Did we kick him out?" Ruby questions.

"Maybe… but it's not like we can negotiate now. Do you have anything to do today?"

Ruby shakes her head, returning to her resting position against you.

"No… I could be with you all day right here," Ruby coos.

"Heh…"

It's genuinely odd to hear that for you. It seems as though Ruby has become far more dedicated and loving than you assumed, and it kinda scares you in some ways. You're so used to not having that attachment or commitment, yet here's a girl who's giving you her all. Rogue wasn't exactly like this when you dated her, being the very prideful woman she is, but you can see some similarities between Ruby and Rogue, even if they're just small details.

You wrap your arms around Ruby and close your eyes. You'll have to think on this a little more later, but for now you might as well enjoy what the situation.

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Ozpin taps on his desk in a soothing manner as he reads a recent report – the bottom half of the page covered by the coffee he's holding. He's read it three times now, but he's trying to think of how to fix the problem with this report. There's a problem with a student in his school that's been recurring for months now. JNPR's and Glynda's reports are examples of this problem. No other student suffers from this problem so he feels like he needs to deal with this personally. He hasn't had to do this in years, but on top of being the Headmaster of Beacon he's also the father of you.

Ozpin sips his coffee then sighs. He sets the coffee down and steps out of his chair, grabbing his cane in a swift motion as he walks around the desk towards the elevator. He enters the elevator and takes out his scroll to send a message.

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Small, soft hands shake you as you try and rest peacefully.

"(Y/N)… (Y/N)," Ruby's light voice echoes through your ears.

"I don't care how cute you are… I'm not opening my eyes," you mumble, curling into an even tighter ball around Ruby.

"H-Hey!" She yelps. "Come on, your scrolls going off."

You nuzzle into her neck, sending tingles down her spine.

"So..?"

"I think it's from Professor Ozpin," she giggles, admittedly enjoying the extra snuggles you're giving.

You huff, wait a few seconds, and then open your eyes. You shift back so you and Ruby and stare face to face on your pillow, your noses nearly touching.

"I'm sure he could wait just a bit longer?"

Ruby pouts, giving you a disapproving look.

"Okay Weiss, I'll get it pronto," you mumble, _**stepping**_ beside your bed and shifting to the direction of your bedside table.

"Hey!" Ruby shouts, jokingly insulted at the comparison.

You smirk as you grab your scroll and read the message sent to you by Ozpin. In short it's him requesting you to meet him in the training room within five minutes.

"Hey… Ruby?"

"Mm?"

"How long have we been sleeping?"

Before she can answer you look out the window before you. The sun's long been down considering how dark it is outside.

"Uhh, I don't know. I was sleeping too."

"Right… right," you half-heartedly answer as your mind flees to its own little world. You slip the scroll into your pocket and turn to Ruby. "Well, it seems I've been summoned. I'll see you later, Little Red."

Ruby smiles, giving you a thumbs up for good luck. You return the exact same gesture before _**leaping**_ to the training room. Ruby looks through the shadow and notices your jacket resting on your work chair. She hops off the bed and grabs it. It's somehow still warm, despite being left alone for so long. It gives her a sense of comfort already, just knowing it's your jacket. It's something she's never felt before… she used to shiver at the thought of feelings and boys, yet now she embraces any thought of you. A funny change that her sister pesters her about.

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Ozpin is already standing in the arena, basked in the sole light shining from the ceiling. He smiles at you the moment you arrive.

"I'm glad you could join me, (Y/N). I apologize for calling on you so late at night."

You shrug, brushing your exposed arms as you step closer.

"Ah, you know… what am I even doing anyway? So, what's this about?"

Well," he taps his cane on the ground. "I realized that you need some special training. You've learned from someone every place you've went, so I thought it would only be appropriate as your father and Headmaster to teach you myself."

Your smile grows wide at these words.

"I… I get to fight you?" You ask for clarification, your heart beating faster at the thought of finally going toe to toe with Ozpin.

The Headmaster smiles, bowing his head.

"Indeed. We shall spar, and I shall teach you. The only catch is you shall not use your blade. Just try to hit me."

You crack your knuckles as you ready yourself. You still can't believe this is going to happen, but it's something you've wanted for so long. You slide your foot back and get into a fighting stance.

"Alright… you ready?" You shout.

"Of course."

You shimmy your foot ever so slightly before pushing off it, gliding across the floor as the gap between you and Ozpin closes. You wind up your fist for a punch and throw it. However, the moment you throw the punch you _**step**_ behind Ozpin, hovering in the air. You already have the momentum to throw a heavy kick, and you do. To your surprise your leg seems to pass right through Ozpin's head. Your face instantly changes from serious to panicked as you awkwardly land behind him.

"Do you know why we assign teams?" Ozpin asks, turning around. You lower your guard to listen, but Ozpin immediately shakes his head. "No, please, do continue. I shall speak as we fight."

You shrug, readying yourself again then charging at him. You begin butterfly-twisting towards him and slam your foot into his neck… but it seems to go right through Ozpin once again. You stumble and bump into Ozpin who still hasn't moved. You quickly jump away and reassess your options.

 _How is he dodging me? He's not even moving… is he creating an afterimage?_

"As I was saying, do you know why we assign teams?"

You _**step**_ behind Ozpin and attack, moving right through him.

"Because you don't have enough dorm space?" You guess, jumping, turning around and kicking through the Headmaster.

Ozpin chuckles.

"Well, in a sense. But there's a deeper meaning to it," he casually speaks as you continue your assault on Ozpin with no results. "It's to ensure the basic qualities of teamwork. We even plant these seeds in the training schools like Signal."

You throw a barrage of punches at Ozpin but he isn't moving at all. You leap back and try to think of a new strategy. He's acting so casually as he's avoiding all your attacks. Is he really there? Is this just some sort of illusion? It can't be. He seems so real.

"Now," he takes a step forward, walking with his cane. "I understand these things were lost on you through the years. One thing I believe Jet didn't consider and just hoped it would come to you naturally, as it did to him. But it didn't. It's the one area you absolutely fail at," Ozpin finishes with a strong, serious tone that shakes your very core.

"Psh, I haven't failed anything! I can work as a team if I…" You _**step**_ below Ozpin and go for a sweep. "Want to!" You shout as you execute the attack.

You watch your leg move through Ozpin's like every other attack you've made. You _**step**_ above him and attempt to drop your heel on his head, but the moment it's about to hit you _**step**_ behind him and punch. This time Ozpin completely disappears and reappears facing you with his cane is held right against your throat from beside you.

"Can you now?" He doubtfully speaks. "Let's think of some examples then, shall we?" He invokes, moving his cane away from your throat and taking a more thinking position. "You were overwhelmed when I sent you to a village. True, I chose to send you alone, but when team RWBY arrived they claimed you refused their help. In fact, the girls didn't feel safe around you at that time."

You sneer at the thought of that botched mission and how much you degraded in that hellish maze. You ready yourself once more then attack Ozpin once more.

"Even before that you fought Dylan alone. You have refused help time and time again, despite claiming to have learned your lesson. You disobey Ms. Goodwitch and fight the Grimm alone, you even sent JNPR away," somehow your fist is pushed away from Ozpin and his cane is resting at your celiac plexus. You couldn't even see it happen. "Let's not forget when you almost perished because you attempted to fight Harrier yourself."

You _**step**_ away from Ozpin to gain some distance.

"I didn't realize what Harrier was capable of, and those other times I was fine. I can handle myself, Ozpin."

Ozpin shakes his head in disappointment.

"You just don't understand, do you? This is about your stubbornness. This is about your inability to comprehend a crucial factor that makes a Huntsman! You may be a prodigy like your father, but you will never be a true Huntsman with your attitude."

You grind your teeth and attack one more. This time, before you can even touch him, you feel an overwhelming force hit your jaw. You flip back three times before slamming into the wall behind you. You fall to the ground and hold your jaw in pain.

"Overconfidence is everyone's ruin, and it shall be yours. You have a teammate in Dylan who's willing to fight with you to the very end."

You chuckle, leaning on the wall as you get back on your feet. You caress your jaw to try and sooth it.

"Heh… have you met Dylan?"

"I know the boy quite well. I also know that when you were nearly killed he rushed to your defense alone," Ozpin reveals.

He can tell by the look in your eyes that you weren't aware of this. In fairness to you, you were unconscious at the time.

"You may not be a team, but every team is composed of a pair. You two are that pair, and yet you never call on him for aid. You don't even accept aid from those who are there, like with JNPR."

"Ho-"

"I didn't send you on that mission for fun, (Y/N)," Ozpin speaks, walking towards you. "I had someone follow along. You sent them away, deciding to take care of it yourself. I suppose that's the Slater way, isn't it? A new way, I find, as both Jet and Harrier believed in teamwork. You'd never see them fighting alone if they could help it." Ozpin stops before you. "You are a talented student, (Y/N), but you must realize that you are only one man. You may be able to be anywhere you want at will…" He places his hand on your shoulder. "But you'll never have your own back."

You look away from him as you contemplate his words.

"I want you to be successful, just as Jet, Glynda, and even Ruby wants you to be. But if you keep going on your own, the only place you'll end up… is in a grave." After staring at each other for what feels like an eternity, Ozpin turns and begins to walk away. "I don't believe you think yourself better than others, (Y/N). But why do you reject the help given? Are you afraid of something?"

Your eyes widen at his words. Your body desperately wants to attack out of pure frustration, but you have no reason to other than denying his words like a baby. Just the thought of failing at something associated with Huntsmen frustrates you to no end. You've spent your whole life training for this and here comes Ozpin telling you that you're absolutely failing at it.

Not wanting to stay here anymore, you _**leap**_ out of the room and to your favourite air pad. You take a seat, letting your feet dangle as you attempt to let out any frustration, which ends up just being grunts and huffs.

"Trying to imitate a Grimm?" Someone chuckles from behind you.

You look to the source of the voice and see your friendly Faunus, Blake, approaching you. She takes a seat beside you. You shake your head.

"No… just… being a child, I guess. Heh…" You clench your fist. "Daddy gets mad and I throw a fit…"

Blake tilts her head, not fully understanding what you mean. You catch this through her body language alone, so you explain the situation you just went through. Ozpin's seemingly invincible technique and his lesson being the only points you bring up. Blake remains quiet, taking in everything you're giving her.

"And… I don't know, Blake… I just," you hold your hands in front of you as if the words are there but you can't grab them. "I… I don't know why I'm like this. I don't mean to, but… I mean, why should others get in the way when I can do it?"

"Are you afraid, then?" Blake brings up.

"What? What does that-"

"You said Ozpin thought you were afraid of something. Is he right?"

"I…" You stare into her stern amber eyes that expect an answer. You sigh, looking away. "No? I don't know. What do I have to fear?"

"I don't know. What do you have to fear?" She fires back.

You huff, flopping onto your back.

"I hate your dissections."

"Well, I don't know how else to word it. But…" Blake clicks her tongue. "I do know Dylan… well, he talks about you two sometimes. Despite being nearly as stubborn as you, he does want to work more as a team."

You lean up and look at her once more.

"He said that?"

Blake nods.

"He does. Seems you two have something to talk about. Either way, we're your friends, (Y/N). We're here to help in any way we can," Blake smiles.

You notice her ears wiggle a bit as she looks at you. You smile, rubbing the back of your head.

"Y-Yeah… thanks, Blake, I… I'll remember that."

Blake chuckles.

"You say that all the time. How do I know it got through your thick skull?"

"Hey!" You pout.

Blake giggles, which becomes contagious so you start laughing alongside her. The laughing soon settles and it resorts to you two looking out at the broken moon. Suddenly something pops into your mind.

"Hey Blake?"

"Hm?"

"What were you doing out? You found me pretty fast."

Blake's eyes widen and a small blush appears on her cheeks.

"I… was hot in my room. I needed to go for a walk."

"Why didn't you open your window?"

"Because I needed to walk around, okay!" She defensively retorts.

You hold your hands up to surrender.

"Okay, okay, you win. Don't go feral on me or something."

Blake squints at you, making you laugh pretty hard.

"Well, I guess I won't keep you. I'll see you later, Blake."

Blake nods.

"I hope you consider what I said."

You _**leap**_ to your room where someone bumps into you the moment you appear. The small figure falls straight on their butt, whining at the sudden event. You look down and see Ruby rubbing her lower back. You chuckle as you offer your hand.

"Sorry, Little Red. I didn't expect you to still be here." You look around the room. "Dylan's still not here, huh?"

You pull Ruby up and brush off her shoulders.

"So what did Ozpin want?" Ruby cutely asks.

You rub the back of your head, chuckling.

"Oh… you know… just stuff. I don't know, I'm gonna head to bed."

"Oh… okay. You're okay, right?" She asks, keeping her eyes on you as you walk past her towards your bed.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it," you weakly answer. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Ruby quickly leaves the room, but doesn't move after that. The tone of your voice basically put a neon sign on your head saying, "Something's wrong with me!" There's always the chance you're simply tired, but that's highly doubtful in Ruby's mind. But she'll have to think on this later. If you're still acting strange tomorrow then she really will have a case on her hands.

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 **The Next Day**

Ruby happily hops in front of your door and knocks in a little tune. Soon enough Dylan answers the door which… doesn't surprise Ruby in the slightest since he's usually the one answering. You have your moments, but it's generally Dylan. Dylan looks down at the young trainee and sighs.

"He's not here," Dylan quickly says. "I don't know where he is either. His weapon isn't here," he says, looking back in the room to double check. "So I assume he's training or something."

"Oh, okay! Thanks Dylan," Ruby waves before running off.

Dylan sighs, walking away from the door but leaving it open. He grabs Zephyr Shale and equips them onto his arms.

"Well, I should get some training in for the tournament. Perhaps Ren could accompany me?" He says to himself.

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"Did you have to use my room for this?" Glynda huffs, leaning on her hip as she watches your actions with a very mild blush.

Of course to make the very stoic teacher blush is no small feat, but the Slater family – mainly Jet's bloodline – have a natural talent to do it. You're in Glynda's personal quarters doing a little bit of training. Crimson Blaze in unsheathed, the base of the hilt pinned against the floor. The entire weapon is shaking, the source being the tip of the blade. You're holding yourself absolutely straight up with two fingers of your left hand. Your body is shaking from the exercise as you lower yourself until your arm's ninety degrees, then pushing yourself back up. The reason Glynda is blushing, however, is the fact that you're doing all this with no shirt on. This puts every muscle on a beautiful display for everyone since you're using every one of them to balance yourself.

You lower yourself once more and exhale as you push up.

"I… needed someone to critique any mistakes," you say before repeating the process. "And you know… it's hard to talk."

"Y-Yeah… well your form is proper," she says in a desperate attempt to salvage her well known persona. "I see no… flaws…" Glynda shakes her head then quickly looks away from you. "You can practice somewhere else now, please. I have other things to do."

You lower yourself then, as you push up, give a little more force to it and switch arms, catching the blade between two fingers and quickly stabilizing yourself. One you attain perfect balance you continue the exercise.

"True, but… where would I do it?"

"Your own room, perhaps? This is very unprofessional!" She scolds.

You huff before flipping forward and landing on your feet. The sword begins falling the same way, but you catch the blade between your fingertips.

"Fine, I guess I took up enough of your time. I kinda need a shower anyway," you chuckle, looking at your extremely sweaty state. "Thanks for letting me practice for an hour though. That one technique was-"

"A personal one I haven't shown in years. I request that you don't mention it to anyone."

You snicker, wiping some sweat off your forehead.

"Why? That just sort of added to your whole 'sexy teacher' thing you've got going on."

Glynda's eyes widen and her face is flushed with anger and embarrassment.

"What did you just say?" She shrieks as her riding crop firmly slaps your arm.

You grab your arm and cringe, yet still manage a chuckle.

"Ow, ow, ow… Come on? Don't whip the messenger! Jeez, that hurts more than I remember."

"You're acting extremely inappropriate, (Y/N)!" She harshly lectures. "If you keep this up I'll-"

"Okay, I'm sorry, jeez," you whine, blowing on the impact point. "Anyway, I'll get out of your hair. I think my 'bother Glynda' requirement has been filled today."

"I'd rather it be erased entirely," she huffs, shaking her head.

"You know I love you," you nonchalantly say with a casual wink, as if Glynda was Weiss or Yang.

Of course you both take those in different ways. In your case, it's still true. Glynda and Ozpin have become your mother and father figures during your time at Beacon. That leads into you caring about them dearly – loving them. It's a different love that you have for your friends like Weiss, Yang, Dylan, Jaune, and everyone else, but it's still love all the same. Glynda does return the same type of love, but your delivery is what threw her off. The wink, the dialect, it's all so similar to Jet. She has done her best to look past the similarities, but there are just some things you say and do that reflect your father perfectly. Hearing "I love you" from someone so similar to the one she once loved… that's a harder pill to swallow.

"I…" Glynda trips over her words in this flustered state.

Fortunately for her you continue talking so she doesn't have to.

"Anyway," you say as you push the blade back to its previous state then backflip over the blade and assume grip the blade with two fingers. "I'll head… out. Thank you, Glynda," you say with a genuine tone, if clouded with stress.

In the blink of an eye you and your blade turn to shadow and dissipate. Glynda places a hand on her chest to feel her heart beating faster than normal. Her eyes drift until they notice your shirt and jacket. She huffs, yet… smiles, as she walks over to them to pick them up and return them to your dorm. She really is your mother now, even if you don't share blood.

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You appear in the middle of one of Beacon's various courtyards in the same position. You carefully look around with a questioning look.

"I guess… I can't concentrate… well enough," you huff.

Obviously the shirtless man balancing on a sword quickly gains the attention of passerby's. The students from Beacon who recognize you wave it off as being a casual thing you do, though the girls don't mind taking a quick peek. At least you're not destroying property like your locker incident. However, the ones who don't know you are immediately baffled to see such a strange act in the middle of a public area. To be fair, you didn't intend to appear here but it's hard to pinpoint locations when you're under so much stress.

Considering you did have a great workout earlier, you take it upon yourself to have a well-deserved break. You flip off the blade and land softly on the ground, taking the sword in your hand and sheathing it. Well, you try to sheathe it but quickly realize you don't have the means to do so. You raise your hand to attract the sheath to you. It's not in Glynda's room, and since you constantly leave your window open it should be fine. In seconds your sheath zooms to your hand for you to reattach to your belt and sheath your blade. With that all done, you realize you're extremely sweaty and… a little smelly.

Despite your state someone approaches you.

"Seem you're giving Beacon quite a view," a seductive voice speaks.

You turn around to see Cinder smiling at you with those amazing eyes that nearly seem to glow.

"Oh, heya Cinder! I, heh," you look down at yourself and the disgusting state you're in. "You've caught me off guard. You're as beautiful as ever and I'm… well…"

"A hot mess?" She smirks.

You playfully shrug.

"I suppose. So how've you been? Last I saw you was at the dance!"

"Ah, yes. What a wonderous night," she coos. "I still remember your kiss."

You blush as you rub the back of your head.

"Heh… yeah… kinda weird now that I think about it."

She raises her brow.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Well I'm… sort of dating someone now. Ruby Rose, you might have met her!"

"The young one in with the cape?" Cinder guesses, leaning on her hip.

You nod to confirm.

"That's the one. Though I still had a ton of fun with you. You're a great dancer," you compliment.

"Well you stand to impress as well, (Y/N). Anyway, I have a small… meeting with my team. It's always nice to see you," the words slide off her silver tongue as she begins to walk away.

"Yeah, right. See ya, Cinder!" You wave.

With Cinder gone and the massive realization hitting you that you're sweaty and smell, you _**leap**_ to your room. The moment you do so Ruby passes by the courtyard, taking a quick peek to see if you're there. Once she concludes you're not there, she keeps looking.

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You appear in your room and the moment you do so you toss your sword into the corner. As you look over at your leaning blade you realize you could have just came here and sheathed your sword rather than bring the sheath to you. You laugh it off as you head towards the bathroom, taking off your pants as you walk, tripping, then quickly _**stepping**_ to your feet as if nothing ever happened. Nobody's around so your embarrassment is short lived. Once you're in the bathroom. You strip down completely and hop in the shower.

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Dylan sighs as he heads towards his destination. Everyone he's spoken to has been busy or already training for the Vytal Festival. In truth the two of you should be practicing your teamwork since you've never really fought as a team. Sure, you've fought each other, but you've never truly faced a threat together, be it in training or not. But he's always been potent with solo training so that is what he'll do for now.

As he makes his way to the training room he's cut off by Professor Port in the hallway.

"Oh, hello there young Huntsman!"

"Hello Professor. Preparing for a class?" Dylan politely says, if having a slightly bored tone.

"You would be wrong on that one, Mr. Brine. I'm actually preparing for a small task given to me by Professor Ozpin. In fact, I could use some aid! Would you like to accompany a true Huntsman and be a part of one of my many endeavors?"

Dylan can see the fire and joy in the older man's… eyes. It's clear to see he wants someone to join him. So, Dylan shrugs.

"Sure, why not."

"Fantastic! Come, I'm gathering some equipment from my classroom. Why don't you bring along young Slater!"

Dylan snickers.

"Sure, why not?"

He slips his scroll out of his pocket and types up a message for you as he follows Port.

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"Where is my jacket?" You ponder as you look through the small amount of clothes you have.

Despite being here for so long you really haven't expanded your wardrobe at all. Ozpin and Glynda have offered to acquire you some new clothes other than your school uniform, but you've declined every time. You may not have much, but everyone seems to wear mostly the same thing anyway. It's almost weird to you. At least you just have multiple pairs of jeans and t-shirts that you wear with your jacket, but everyone else has the same outfit every time you see them. Maybe it's them who need a wardrobe update. Then again if you brought that up to Coco she'd probably kill you, so you won't!

Suddenly you hear a beep at your door. By the time you look at it Ms. Goodwitch is already coming into your room with your clothes in hand. You smile as you approach her.

"I was wondering where it was. Thanks!"

"Just try not to forget your clothes in my room… or try not to come into my room as much. Both would be appreciated."

She places the clothes on a nearby dresser, bows her head, and then leaves you alone. You grab your jacket and slip it onto your body. You feel almost complete with it on now. As if the world knows you're ready for action, your scroll begins to vibrate.

You swipe your scroll out of your pocket and check the message. You're intrigued when you read Professor Port wants you and Dylan to meet him in his room. It makes sense to just contact you directly since you can go anywhere you want in Beacon with a mere thought – something that Ms. Goodwitch has been the victim of for a long time.

Now that you're all set you close your eyes and lock onto Port's room before _**leaping**_ there.

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You appear in Port's room, surprising both the Professor and Dylan with your sudden arrival. They're behind his desk while you're in the middle of the room. You quick wave to the two as you greet them with a smile.

"Ask and I shall answer," you confidently remark.

"Ah, Mr. Slater, it's good to see you! Ready for an adventure lead by… me!"

"It's a mission," Dylan clarifies.

You nod after Dylan's words.

"Well, what's it all about?"

"As you may know, Beacon has small sensors throughout the Emerald Forest and the Forest of Foreverfall. It's linked to our security network, which, for certain reasons," he clears his throat. "I cannot elaborate on! However the system has been disrupted, thus we will go out and fix the sensors!"

You cross your arms and chuckle.

"That's it? It'll be a cake walk. You can sit this one out, Dylan. I'm sure I can handle this."

Dylan shakes his head but doesn't bother to argue.

"Whatever you say, Slater. Saves me the trouble anyway," he speaks as he walks around the desk and past you.

Professor Port raises his brow as he watches you, though you don't notice. As Dylan walked by you your mind thought of something else. Ozpin's lesson…

You quickly turn around.

"A-Actually, Dylan, why don't you tag along?" He turns around to see if those words are really coming out of your mouth. "I mean, hey, you'll get out of shape soon enough," you tease.

Dylan internally smiles at your words. Whether it's laced with idiocy or not, you asked him to come along. You're finally going to have a mission as a team, rather than one at a time. Port also smiles at your decision. Every teacher knows of Ozpin's small lesson, and each one has been requested by the Headmaster to aid you in that field. Port's happy to see you taking initiative to fix it.

"Excellent! I've gathered all the equipment I need," Port howls as he wraps a satchel around him. "Let's make our way to the airpad!" He hollers with passion and excitement.

He walks around his desk and leads you both out of the classroom and to the exit. You and Dylan walk behind him, side by side, chuckling at his enthusiasm.

"To think we'll be part of one of his adventures," you chuckle.

"Maybe it'll be told in class," Dylan theorizes.

"If he does we totally have to over play it!"

"Hm?"

You put your fists on your hips and stand prominently.

"The young students accompanied me on this vigorous mission," you mimic Port. "As we were surrounded by Grimm I took the lead and showed my students how it was done! I cut down the beasts in no time and secured victory for Beacon Academy!"

Dylan chuckles at your monologue.

"That does sound accurate."

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The Bullhead hovers over a small hill in the Emerald Forest. You, Dylan, and Port hop out the Bullhead, all landing smoothly on the grass below. Port pulls out his scroll to bring up the map of this region.

"Alright, there's one control center per region. Once we've fixed them all we'll return to Beacon."

You stretch your arms out as you yawn.

"Easy enough. Where's this first control node thingy?"

Port, scroll in hand, leads the way through the forest. You and Dylan follow along, keeping an eye out for any Grimm that may attack.

"So what's the reason your network was disrupted? I imagine Beacon wouldn't allow it to go down without someone else's interference," Dylan inquires.

"A curious one, aren't you!" He speaks as you all hop off a ledge and to a large area below. "In truth I believe it's the Grimm. But we won't know until we find them. This one coming up is in a cave, so be on the lookout for any-"

"We'll be fine, don't worry teach," you confidently remark. "It's not like any Grimm can stand up to the three of us."

You can all hear Grimm in the distance, from Beowolves to Ursai. Though this is a place to train and where teachers take students for "field exercises" it's clear this place isn't safe. Suddenly it makes sense as to why a security network would be set up. Though you can't help but wonder what the real purpose of it is. A whole academy trained to kill Grimm and yet they have such an extensive security network monitoring them. You'd think they could have an easier way to do this, unless this is meant for more than just the Grimm.

Thinking of this really won't help you in the long wrong, if you're honest with yourself. It'd likely only be more needless thinking you'd have to do – distracting you from other, more important things… like more ways to bother Glynda. That's always fun.

"Look ahead! A small pack of Beowolves!" Port blurts out, pulling you out of your train of thought.

Just as the moustache man said, a pack of six Beowolves have spotted you and are attempting to surround your group. You slip your hands into your pockets and yawn.

"I mean… do you want to do this, Dylan?"

Dylan shakes his head in disappointment.

"Is it beneath you, Slater?"

"No, but I always steal the fun. Thought I'd at least offer it to you."

Dylan activates Zephyr Shale, lighting up the blue jewels.

"I'll handle this. Professor?" Dylan speaks, turning to his teacher for permission.

"Show us your passion, Dylan!" Port enthusiastically cheers.

You cross your arms and smile, excited to see how this is going to go down. Of course you know Dylan will make short work of simple Grimm. He's a formidable opponent for you, though not quite your equal. Still, you know mere Grimm are nothing compared to the "Son of the Waves."

Dylan steps ahead of you two, allowing the Beowolves to surround him rather than all of you. You and Port move back to give him some space. You've never seen Dylan fight Grimm before, so you're admittedly intrigued at how he'll do it. Likely with less flair and trash talk than you. Actually, probably no trash talk at all. That's a very you thing. Though the thought of Pyrrha screwing with her opponents does give you a chuckle. You'd sooner see her apologize for each hit she gives.

Dismissing the thought, you return your attention to Dylan and his battle. He's gathered the pack in front of him as he waits for their first move. The Grimm sniff in his direction as they're either planning or simply afraid of attacking the young Faunus man. Dylan sighs, getting bored of it all. He deactivates Zephyr Shale and decides to go for a cleaner approach. He moves his hands out to encompass all the Grimm, which creates water from the air around the pack. He claps his hands together which triggers the water to rush all the Grimm, hurling them together and trapping them in a decent sized water ball. He retracts his fingers back but keeps the tips connect to mimic the ball in his hands, then swiftly claps them together once more. The ball almost instantaneously shrinks to crush the Beowolves together until there's nothing left but miniscule ball of water only Dylan can see. He lets his hands fall back to his sides and halts his focus on the water. The ball falls apart and dark clouds simmer into the air.

"6/10 needs more flair," you rate.

"My apologies I didn't take twenty minutes with only five of actual fighting," he fires back.

"Psh, it's called multitasking, Dylan," you snarkily remark.

"It was a magnificent display!" Port's voice booms. "Now, let us continue!"

He passes Dylan to take the lead once more. You wink at Dylan as a subtle congratulations whilst you follow Port. He waits until you're beside him before walking, thus keeping you two in a pair.

The three of you walk through a small path that leads to a makeshift bridge made of wooden planks. Port crosses first, showing its safe. Considering the students he has with him it doesn't really matter. You can teleport, Dylan can make a platform of water. You're a very mobile team when Port really thinks on it. He's hoping to run into a few more Grimm to see how you two fight as a team, rather than going one at a time.

"Hey Dylan, I got a question," you start as you both walk over the creaking wood below.

"What is it?"

"That thing you did back there… why didn't you do that to me when we fought? That might have gotten me."

Dylan shakes his head.

"No, it wouldn't have. Grimm don't have a soul – aura. They can be easily manipulated and crushed. You and other Huntsmen have aura; it would protect you from that kind of attack. If I wore you down, however," he smugly shrugs. "It may be different. But I also have some humanity in me. That… is not how I'd want to kill someone."

"Would you have said that before we fought?"

Dylan looks into your curious eyes then averts his gaze.

"I'd like to think so. To be honest I don't know. I see the world more clearly now that I'm free of the White Fang."

"Well, I definitely prefer this Dylan," you smirk, patting his back. "And I think Blake does too," you whisper before hopping ahead of Dylan.

"I… why would I even w-want to know that?" He spastically responds.

You spin to face him, walking backwards, wink, then turn back. He rolls his eyes at your idiocy. The three of you enter a cave with a large piece of technology inside of it. Port is already examining it for any hints as to why it's not working. Dylan joins Port in this as you saunter around the cave to entertain yourself and make sure no Grimm are around.

It's a cool temperature in this cave with even colder stone making up the walls. For nature standards, it's a beautiful cave. Perhaps that's the reason it was chosen to host the tech, or maybe some of the beauty is artificial. It's probably that the cave was excavated to suit the large wonder in the middle. You pass by a small cavern when something catches your attention. It's a glass cage with a logo that you've never seen before. However that logo comes second to the Boarbatusk slamming itself against the glass in an attempt to escape. You raise your brow at the sight while taking a few steps back.

"Port! I got something you wanna see!"

In seconds Port and Dylan show up behind you to see the spectacle before you.

"Hm… curious indeed," he remarks, rubbing his moustache. "Dylan, please search the rest of the cave. I have a feeling there might be more of these."

"Yes, sir," Dylan says before running away from the group.

"So… we gonna kill it?"

"Of course, child, but there's something about that symbol… I've seen it before." Port takes out his scroll and takes a picture. "I'll be sure to send this to Barty."

"Professor, there's four other boxes with Grimm inside," Dylan reports.

Port thinks on this new piece of information.

"Well, it seems you two have some work to do. I'll fix up our relay, you two destroy the Grimm."

"Gotcha," you say as you unsheathe your blade and approach the Grimm in front of you.

With a quick and powerful slash you send a sonic wave towards the crate, but it has no effect. You lower your guard and raise your brow at the durability of this box.

 _It was meant to hold Grimm, I suppose using a lower level attack wouldn't penetrate it._

You charge your arm once more to send another sonic wave at the box. This time is cuts through the box and the Grimm, effectively ending both. You turn around and leave the small corner that held this Grimm. Port is tinkering with the machine while Dylan is dealing with the other Grimm. You don't know where they are, so you decide to leave the job to Dylan.

"Sit tight, lad. When I'm done with this one we have three others to get to," Port informs as he continues his work.

You lean on the rock wall and cross your arms in just the right spot to see every entrance or exit to the cave. Nothing'll sneak up one you or Port. But if this is all the mission has to offer, then it's severly disappointing for you.

 _Fixing up a few relays? Come on, give me something better._

 **Yeah, I know I took my time on this one. Some of it was due to me being stuck with Project's Past, and another bit was planning out this arc. As some of you might have noticed, we have entered the Grimm Eclipse Arc! Yes, I've already made changes to the story already and… well, that's going to continue. If you played the game you'd know how… lackluster the story and storytelling really is. This means I'm going to be tweaking elements for Crimson Shadow, so don't expect a rehashing of Grimm Eclipse!**

 **I also noticed I forgot to add those facts I used to do. Guess I just couldn't keep it up for this long, so whatever. If I have something interesting then I'll put it at the end like I normally do. Anyhow, thanks for all the constant support of Crimson Shadow and my other stories! It really means a lot to me. I can't wait to see you all in the reviews/comments! Until next time, I'll see you all later!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72**


	26. Chapter 26: An Explosive Mission

**Chapter 26: An Explosive Mission**

You cut down the final Beowolf surrounding the last relay in the Emerald Forest. Just like the last two relays there are large traps with Grimm stuck inside them and a whole swarm trying to attack the relay. Luckily some simple Beowolves, Boarbatusks, and even a few Ursai, are nothing compared to the combined prowess of you and Dylan. Though "combined prowess" means the two of you killing them in the vicinity of the other, and not killing them as a team. Still, as the final Grimm dissipate into nothingness you and Dylan put away your weapons and approach Professor Port who's working on the relay.

"Hm… seems this one was also tampered with," Port speaks aloud as he disables the device.

"So Beacon has an enemy?" Dylan points out.

"Cool, we're gonna take out a threat before it can even be considered one," you excitedly say.

"Yes, well we'll need someone to identify the symbol first. In the meantime we'll return to Beacon. You two did a marvelous job today – showing the skills of a true Huntsman!"

"If only one of us could have the demeanor of one," Dylan smirks.

"Yeah, if only," you eye him back.

Port laughs with his usual full voice.

"Yet still young, it seems. Now students, the Bullhead should be here shortly. Keep an eye out for any Grimm."

You turn away from Dylan and shrug.

"Alrighty. I'll just imagine a nice warm meal waiting for me when I get back… like a nice steak… like the one Yang took from me," you spitefully say at the painful memory.

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Defeated, robbed, utterly demolished. These are all things one could use to describe Ruby Rose at this moment. She has spent so much time searching for you that she's convinced you're either dead or gone… probably gone. Though if you were actually dead that would be a whole different problem. So the young Ruby Rose makes one last stop to your room to check if you're there. If not, she'll be off to find her team to train some more for the tournament coming up.

Ruby enters the dormitories and skips along to your room. Once she's at the door she's about to knock when the door opens and a woman starts to step out. This woman isn't Weiss, Yang, or Blake, nor is she Ms. Goodwitch. No, this woman is a student who has one specific thing in common with Ruby. That one thing… is that they've both dated you.

Rogue steps out of the room only to bump into the young woman now dating her ex.

"What're you doing here?" They both say at the same time, same pitch, and same level of annoyance.

"I'm seeing my boyfriend! What about you?" Ruby pouts.

"I'm looking for that moron, yet evidently he's not in his room," she says as she crosses her arms, leans on her hip, and looks away from the nuisance in front of her.

"Then how did you get in his room?" Ruby curiously asks.

"He leaves the window open."

"So you break into his room?!"

Rogue shrugs.

"He's too sneaky for his own good. Always hiding away or sleeping when I wanted to see him."

Ruby lets her pout go as she thinks on the woman's words.

"Yeah… he always is sleeping by a tree," she giggles.

Rogue, oddly enough, snickers at this.

"Yeah, always a lazy one."

The two immediately look away from each other when they realize what they were just talking about, giving a loud "hmph."

"Well then I'm going!" Ruby declares.

"Me too," Rogue agrees.

The two walk away from the room… side by side as they're heading to the same location. The entire time they look the opposite way from one another, arms crossed. The awkward tension continues throughout the whole process of getting to the exit of the building. The two even open their own door as they exit. The two then go left and right which results in them bumping into each other immediately. Without saying a word the two step back, connecting eyes with fire in their irises.

"I hope I face you in the tournament!" Ruby threatens.

"Then maybe he'll see you're the wrong option," Rogue smirks.

"Oh why I oughta," Ruby mumbles, ready to go a round right then and there.

Before she can Rogue passes by the cloaked girl and goes on her way.

"He'll leave you, you know. He always does," Rogue says as she gets farther and farther away.

"No he won't!" Ruby shouts, stamping her foot. As she watches Rogue walk away her eyes drift to her feet as she kicks some dust. "He won't…"

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The Bullhead soars over Beacon to reach its intended destination. The roaring sound catches some students attention for a brief moment before the go back to whatever they were doing prior to. The doors open to allow some fresh air to hit you, Dylan, and Port as the three of you eagerly await stepping out of the machine.

"I suggest seeing Dr. Oobleck right away," Port speaks as you get closer to the ground. "He's been researching that symbol and should hopefully have a lead."

"Right," you both respond.

Before the Bullhead touches the ground you and Dylan hop off for a very brief drop. With your hands in your pockets and Dylan's arms crossed you both saunter along to Oobleck's classroom.

"You wanna just _**leap**_ there?" You offer.

Dylan shrugs.

"Doesn't matter to me. I am enjoying the walk."

You snicker.

"I am too. I wonder where Little Red is, actually. I haven't seen her today."

"She's probably alright. You think she can't survive without you?"

You shrug in an overexaggerated manner.

"Well I don't know, Dylan. Maybe I'd just like to think my girlfriend would like to see me! It's like if you didn't see Blake."

"Blake's not my girlfriend," he quickly shoots down.

"And she won't be if Sun has anything to say about it," you chuckle, attempting to push Dylan's buttons.

"That idiot won't…" Dylan takes a deep breath. "I'm not letting your bait get to me, Slater. My relationship with Blake is none of your business."

You hop in front of Dylan, walking backwards to not waste time.

"Aha! That's where you're wrong, my good friend!" You wag your finger close to his face. "As my friend, I feel like it's my duty to aid you in what surely is a torturous time for your fragile heart."

"You're the bane of my existence."

"So, I, (Y/N) Slater," you dramatically place your hand on your chest. "Will help you, Dylan Brine," you point at him. "With your lady troubles!"

"I would rather ask Port about women than you."

You wave him off as you spin on your heel to face forward. You slow down a bit to allow Dylan to catch up, then walk at his pace.

"Pish posh, you need not worry. As you know, Slater's… well, they Slate. I'm gonna be Slating all over Blake for you."

"That… I don't know whether you're being serious or not anymore," Dylan admits as he finally adopts a confused expression. "And are you using your name as a-"

"Silence!" You snap your hand right in front of his mouth which he quickly pushes away. "You can leave it all in Papa Slater's hands."

"I'll cut off those hands if you don't shut up."

You finally break down in laughter, slapping your knee as you walk.

"Man, you're one of the most entertaining people to talk to, Dylan. Why were we not friends sooner?"

"I tried to kill you."

"Oh… yeah, true," you nod, placing your hands on your hips. You soon shrug then return your hands to your pockets. "Well, we're almost there. Hopefully Oobleck has something for us."

"Something like this could take weeks, Slater. I doubt you and I can finish this within twenty four hours."

"Pfft, you don't know that. We're an efficient team."

"We've never done missions as a team," he corrects.

"Well would you rather start strong?"

Dylan pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I… you make no sense."

"I make perfect sense. You just don't understand my complex thinking."

"'Complex thinking,'" he says in air quotes.

"Extremely complex thinking," you press.

Dylan shakes his head, chuckling.

"You're an idiot," he finishes with a smile.

Your friendly banter continues as you enter the building and head for the classroom. But the moment you enter the building Ruby walks around the corner, swinging her feet as she aimlessly walks around.

"I can't find aaaaaanyone!"

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You and Dylan enter Ooblecks classroom and are immediately confronted by the Doctor.

"Ah, good to see you both!" He spews, taking a sip of his coffee before speeding back to his desk and pointing to his board. A very detailed drawing of the symbol that littered around the relays you protected. "I have identified the symbol and oh how interesting it is! Have either of you heard of Merlot Industries?"

You both shake your head, you being more animated than Dylan. Dr. Oobleck sighs.

"They were a very prominent corporation during the foundation of Mt. Glenn. Dr. Merlot was a brilliant scientist, well known to everyone. His facility-"

His speech becomes faster and faster to the point where you and Dylan simply stand there as he zips to different locations in front of his board as he explains… things. Eventually he rushes up to you too, pushing you to the door.

"Well, to Mt. Glenn! We have to see if there's something at their building!"

"Wha-"

"I…"

"Go! Go! I'll contact you via scroll!" He barely explains as he shoves you out of his room.

Once he slams the door you and Dylan look at each other, both having massive confusion flooding over your faces.

"We're… going to Mt. Glenn?" You ask.

Dylan shrugs.

"I… think? Maybe?"

The door opens only for a loud, "YES!" To be shouted from the Doctor, then the door slams shut. Once again you both are frozen in place, blinking awkwardly.

"Do you wanna just _**leap**_ there?" You whisper.

"Sure."

Dylan places his hand on your shoulder for the physical connection required for him to accompany you. Once you feel Dylan's hand on your shoulder you close your eyes and open your mind. You see yourself pass over Beacon and fly through the Emerald Forest. Going through the trees you remember, seeing some foot steps in the mud, all these things you see as your mind extends through the world. Once you reach and lock on to a point just outside of Mt. Glenn you open your eyes.

"Lets go."

You and Dylan puff into a shadowy aura, quickly dissipating as you instantly disappear from Beacon Academy. Moments later Ruby traverses through the same hallway you were just in.

"I guess thinking he'd be here is silly. Oh! Maybe the library! At least I could find Blake there!"

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The two of you appear out of thin air on the outskirts of Mt. Glenn. Dylan takes his hand off your shoulder and brushes himself off.

"I still don't like the feeling of that."

You cringe a bit at the travel.

"Yeah… still a little tough on me too. Though nothing like _**leaping**_ myself and JNPR… but still," you huff. "This isn't close, you know."

"Seems someone's just complaining," he snickers.

You ignore Dylan's words as you look around the area. There's a gate around Mt. Glenn's boundaries though said fence has fallen in many areas from the Grimm attacks. There's a broken sign ahead saying "Welcome to Mt. Glenn!" The sign has holes and claw marks all over it which is more of a representation of the place than it was intended. You both spot the absolutely destroyed buildings that take on the role of scenery. The dust of what's been destroyed covers the grass right outside the entrance and litters the cement that connects everything.

"Do you want to contact Oobleck?" You turn to Dylan.

He nods in response before grabbing his scroll and attempting to contact the doctor. As he does you both begin to enter the desolate city. You can't even hear your footsteps after the first few seconds due to the amount of dust covering the ground. Your shoes imprint themselves in that dust, marking your arrival for any who care to check.

Dylan places his scroll back in his pocket. You look at him for an answer but he only shakes his head at you.

"Nothing. But we're looking for Merlot Industries. I'm sure we can find it."

"Probably one of the taller buildings. Come on, lets get a move one. I'd rather actually explore than just _**leap**_ all over the place."

"Glad to see you're not relying on your semblance too much," he chuckles, though his eyes are scanning the buildings around him just as yours are.

"Meh, you know… can't get out of shape. If I did then I'd REALLY have Glynda on my butt."

"It seems like most teachers harp on you for something," Dylan points out.

"Meh, I do it on purpose."

You two stop, signaling that you both just heard the same thing. A growl, not a threatening one though. It's definitely a creature of Grimm, which doesn't come as a surprise considering this place was overrun by said creatures. Though as long as you don't cause too much of a ruckus nothing should go wrong. You're here to look for a building, not to hunt down the Grimm in the area.

"Perhaps we should get some high ground," you suggest. "We'll be able to spot the building easier."

Dylan nods.

"Good idea."

He flicks his hands towards the ground, swirling water around your feet until there's enough to lift the two of you into the air and onto the nearest building with an intact rooftop. You two look at the taller buildings to see if there's any indication of what could be Merlot's building. After mere moments Dylan taps your shoulder and points you towards the tallest building in the area that has the same symbol you saw in the Emerald Forest.

"That seems like a good start. Come on!" You shout as you jump off the roof and land on another, then jump to a broken bridge to the left of you.

Dylan follows suite, though he simply uses a water platform to reach your location. Once beside you he starts marching forward. You slide your hands into your pocket with your eyes on the building.

"You know, we didn't really get a lot of intel on what we're actually supposed to do," you bring up.

"I'm well aware. I'll attempt to contact him again," Dylan says as he grabs his scroll once more.

You keep an eye out as Dylan links his scroll's call to yours.

"Students! Have you arrived at Mt. Glenn?" Ooblecks voice shouts without warning, scaring both you and Dylan.

"Ah… yeah… yeah," you whine, rubbing your ears.

"Perfect! I trust you've found the building already. Keep me posted!"

"What if we didn't find it?" You bring up.

"THEN YOU FIND IT!" He urgently shouts, blowing out your ear drums.

The line disconnects so you and Dylan can continue your journey. You rub your ear as you look at Dylan.

"You know… at least Port came with us."

Dylan shrugs.

"I suppose. Come on, lets not waste any time."

You walk along the broken bridge which leads to a dead end ahead of you and an open path to the right. The right does lead to a drained waterway that could be used as an alternate path. You and Dylan share a look, silently asking if either of you want to take the open path. You respond with a snicker and then jump onto the debris. One foot lands on a very thin piece of broken foundation, then spring forward and land beyond all the rubble. Dylan, on the other hand, simply creates a water platform to hover over it. You're already walking without him, eyes locked on the building.

"It's a marvel how the building has stayed intact for so long with all the Grimm around," Dylan speaks.

"Yeah, I guess. The building could be abandoned for all we know."

"Very true."

With the building just ahead, you and Dylan pick up the pace to avoid drawing any unwanted Grimm attention. Luckily you haven't spotted many during your time here, though that could have made this endeavor a little more entertaining. You both reach the courtyard in front of the massive building.

"So do we just walk in the front door?" You suggest, gesturing towards the door.

"Perhaps… I doubt any security systems are active. That would be-"

Suddenly the ground begins to shake violently to the point where you, a trained Huntsman, are struggling to keep on your feet.

"Dylan!"

"I don-"

The ground begins to crack and fall apart, taking you both with it. Your surface crumbles before Dylan's so you disappear from his view.

"Slater!" Dylan shouts before his own ground falls apart.

You flip through the air as you fall but you're fully ready to _**leap**_ out of there. You look around for Dylan but the only to have your face meet with a large chunk of cement which spins you around as you struggle to remain conscious. You can't stop yourself as you crash into the ground, cement falling around and on you. Your aura protects your bones and organs from receiving any real damage, but you're still in a weakened state. You can still hear pieces of the what is now the ceiling falling onto the ground around you. Your blurry vision makes it hard to see where Dylan is, especially with the dust and debris still falling.

You slowly push yourself up only to realize your feet are completely covered by one block of cement. Once seeing that you let yourself lie there to regain your strength. You rest yourself against the cold ground below you and close your eyes. Your head's pounding from the earlier beating…

"I'm… really comfy…"

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Dylan's eyes slowly open and his head immediately starts hurting. He places a hand against his forehead, closing one eye as he looks around to gain his bearings. He's in some sort of makeshift trainyard.

"Slater! Slater!" He shouts, but the only response he gets is his echoing voice. "Damnit… what the hell happened? That wasn't an earthquake… someone purposely blew the floor." He massages his shoulders one at a time as his body loosens up. "Well… finding that idiot should be my top priority… although considering how many different paths there are… and," he turns around to see a dozen Grimm creeping out from the tunnels ahead. "These things. Lets hope we can meet up," he states as he activates Zephyr Shale.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Your eyes burst open after what feels like forever. You instantly try to get up but you fall face first in the ground thanks to the cement on your legs.

"Ah… right," you moan, pushing off the ground once more. "How long have I been out? Where am I? Dylan!" You shout, but no response is given. "Figures we'd get separated. Gah… my head feels like it's been used for Yang's training…" You rub your head in a useless attempt to get rid of the pain. "Well, I guess I should get moving. Dylan's probably scared without me. Might be crying a little. Possibly suffering from loneliness," you rant on to yourself.

With your body feeling more or less okay you push your entire body to the left, putting all your strength into your leg to push the wreckage off. The combination of momentum and strength easily overpowers the cement and frees you from its clutches. You finally get onto your feet and begin to stretch your leg from left to right.

"How long was I out?" You mumble to yourself whilst looking to the opening above. "Sun's still up, so that's nice. I could just get out of here but I need to find Dylan first." You look to your belt and see your trusty blade still there. "Alright, I got everything. Lets get going."

You take a few steps forward to an edge that looks over some of the surrounding area. To your surprise there's what looks to be a settlement in the area. Buildings, roads, all these things hidden under the ground.

"So this is what was under Mt. Glenn… sure won't be easy to find Dylan here. Well, might as well get started."

To your left is a makeshift path made entirely of stone. You burst forward off the ledge and land in the middle of that path, then casually begin walking along said path.

"At least there are no Grimm down here."

The deformed structure leads you around the side of the buildings and towards a small staging area for trains. Something that catches your attention is how calm this whole place is. Mt. Glenn was a disaster filled with death and Grimm, so why is it so quiet?

"Huh, so this was where the White Fang were hiding out. Heh… I wish I was here to help Ruby when she was in trouble… then again I wasn't in the best spot myself," you snicker.

Then an idea comes to your head. You pull out your scroll and attempt to turn it on, but your idea is stopped dead in its tracks when you see the cracked, utterly useless scroll.

"Of course it is. I wonder if she'll think I'm intentionally avoiding her. Heh, thankfully Ruby isn't like Yang or Weiss or Rogue. Those girls I can imagine would be livid. Well, Rogue I know from experience."

As you follow the tracks you come across a sealed door. To the right, behind you, is a glowing green button that you noted but didn't tamper with.

"I assume that's for this door. I guess Dylan hasn't come this way if it's closed… or he closed it behind him. Well, might as well open it."

You spin on your heel and approach the button, slamming it with your fist to start up the contraption. The rusted gears turn as the dust powered machine opens the door for you, achieving its function.

You walk through the door and reach an area that raises your brow. There are green glowing crystals around the floor.

"Huh… is this Dust or something?"

As you examine the crystals from a distance you spot a Grimm creeping around the corner. It's a Beowolf, but it's glowing the same green colour as the crystals. You attract your sheath to your hand and ready yourself for whatever this odd looking Grimm has instore for you. The Beowolf growls before rushing at you like any normal one would. You stand your ground until it leaps at you, allowing you to quickly dash underneath it, taking him out in one clean cut. You sheath your blade right after and spin around to look at the Grimm's dead corpse. However, instead of dissipating the body explodes, the shockwave sending you back a few feet and crumbling the small cave you were in. You manage to land smoothly if a little confused.

"What was that? Since when did Grimm explode?" You exclaim.

That outburst attracts the Grimm, evident by a roar coming from further into the city. You hunch forward and sigh, then keep going to find your partner. However something else catches your eye. On the rail a short distance ahead of you is a cart with some sort of device on it. Not only that but the instant you recognize the devices' presence your ears pick up a small beep repeating every two seconds. This piques your curiosity and quietly begs investigation. You casually saunter towards it until a voice shouts from behind.

"Slater! Slater!"

You turn around and see Dylan in the room you just left. He's coming from an entrance on the far right, opposite to you who came from the left. You jog back to the mechanical door and wave towards your partner.

"Heya, water works! I'm over here!" You shout to him.

Dylan hears your pathetic nickname for him and sighs, though half of that sigh is one of relief that he finally found you. Dylan sprints to you as you patiently wait for the Faunus. Once he's only a few feet away he begins to speak.

"Why haven't you answered your scroll?" He scolds. You slip it out of your pocket and show him its damaged state. "Oh… well, that's the best excuse I've heard from you yet. Anyhow, I managed to get into contact with Dr. Oobleck. He wants us to follow these tracks to the end where someone will meet us."

You shrug.

"Alright, but I found something interesting. There was this weird glowing Grimm tha-"

"Green?" He cuts off, to which you nod. "I found some too. Dr. Oobleck suspects they're mutated, but by who he doesn't know."

"Could it be this Merlot guy that did it?" You bring up.

"Oobleck suspected that, but we don't know. But… wait…" Dylan's Faunus ears peer up, finally hearing something interesting. "What's that beeping?"

You turn around and point towards the cart.

"That thing, I think. I was about to take a looksee but you showed up."

Dylan lightly pushes past you as he urgently marches towards the cart. You lazily follow, not thinking anything of it. Dylan examines the device then scans it with his scroll.

"Slater… I think…"

"Boys, bad news," Oobleck cuts in, instantly contacting Dylan at the sight of the scan. "That… is a bomb. A big one at that… someone set it off, you have to dispose of it!"

"Slater, it's a bomb!" Dylan fills you in. "Can you teleport it out of here?"

You approach the bomb and place a hand on your chin.

"I don't think so… if it has any Dust in it my semblance will trigger it. It happened with a small amount that Weiss carries around, so something this big would kill me instantly."

"What? But I have Dust in my weapons!"

You shrug.

"Don't ask me about the science of it. Maybe because they're already infused with your weapon? I haven't had my semblance for very long, Mr. Slip and Slide."

"Damnit… Doctor, what do we do?" Dylan asks, a finger on his ear.

"You'll have to lead the bomb over a chasm and break the railway. DO NOT TOUCH THE BOMB! If you do it could explode right away! The cart is powered by Dust crystals. There should be some nearby! Keep the cart moving! You have less than two minutes!"

You hear that through Dylan's communicator.

"WHAT? Why didn't you tell us that sooner?!" You spastically shout.

"You have no time! Grab the Dust!"

You and Dylan look at each other, quietly deciding which one will go for the Dust. But of course, as missions go, nothing is easy. The howling Grimm you heard earlier finally emerge from all sides. There's a mix of the mutated Grimm and regular ones coming from everywhere.

"You?"

"You?"

"Me?

"You?"

"Us?"

"DYLAN GET THE DUST!" You shriek.

"Right!"

You unsheathe your blade and look around at the incoming Grimm. In reality these Grimm wouldn't be a problem if you maximized your semblance, but having all those Grimm explode around the bomb could detonate it and kill both you and Dylan. You have to be careful with this.

Dylan sprints away from the bomb and approaches a Dust distribution point. He clicks the button to summon the Dust and eagerly waits for the material. Meantime he watches you prepare yourself for this battle. The overwhelming amount of Grimm and Mutated Grimm close in each second as you strategize.

 _Right, I gotta keep these Grimm away from the bomb. Maybe I can keep them contained in three different areas. But… with that door…_

You switch to a reverse grip and sprint towards the Grimm coming from the door. You _**step**_ through the door rather than running and slam the button. The door slowly begins to close but at the rate it's at the Grimm would break through and render the door pointless. You spin around and release a sonic wave from your blade, knocking back all the first wave Grimm. That wave hits some of the Mutated Grimm, causing them to explode and kill some of the surrounding Grimm. This distracts the Grimm well enough to give the door time to close. You _**step**_ behind the door and watch it close.

 _They might break through, but at least this buys me time._

Turn your back to the door and witness all the Grimm still inbound, now far closer to the bomb than before. Thankfully Dylan is just placing the Dust inside of the cart and moving the machinery. He keeps with it and activates Zephyr Shale for his personal protection. He'll deal with anything that gets too close, you'll try your best to keep them far away. You jump into the air and _**step**_ right infront of the first Ursa. You spin forward, extending your leg to bring the Ursa's head to the ground. You land on that leg and immediately dash to the left, dragging your blade along the Creeps, Boarbatusks, and Beowolves on the front lines. This set of Grimm is directly in the way of the bomb.

"Dylan, can you split these guys up?" You shout to your partner as you flip over an attacking Beowolf then dashing through him, cutting the beast in half.

Dylan acknowledges your command. He moves a few feet ahead of the bomb and faces the wave of Grimm who's focus is all on you. He begins throwing punches towards the crowd in a specific area, blowing away all Grimm in that section. This hits some of the Mutated Grimm, causing them to explode and tear apart some of the normal Grimm.

"Talk about blowing them away," you laugh, flipping over a Boarbatusk's spin and cutting down a Creep.

"Just keep as many busy as you can. I'll take care of any who get too close."

"That was my plan!" You answer, dodging two swipes from a Beowolf.

The second slash you leap back and fall on your upperback, positioning your hands to spring you forward. You launch yourself at the Beowolf feet first, kicking the Grimm into the air. You follow him into the air then swiftly kick him back down into the crowd of Grimm. You then _**step**_ behind them to sprint throught the crowd with your blade either decapitating them or splitting them in two. Dylan punches a few away until the cart starts beeping. He examines it and sees the fuel is low.

"Already? Piece of junk."

He frantically looks around the room as he hears the sound of Grimm dying and explosions erupting from them. Unfortunately he sees no Dust distributors in the immediate area and the timer is less than two minutes at this point.

"Uh… Slater! We have a problem!" He shouts over the Grimm's noise.

You _**step**_ beside Dylan, your facial expression asking for the problem.

"It's out of Dust and there's none close by."

You look to the cart as you come up with ideas. Instead of taking the time to truly think on any, however, you decide to go with the easiest solution.

"Then just… kick it!" You yell, slamming your foot into the cart and moving it a few feet.

This shakes the bomb which scares both you and Dylan. He rushes to it and checks the timer.

"THERE'S ONLY THIRTY SECONDS NOW!"

"I DIDN'T KNOW! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

"A SOLUTION?"

"I ONLY CREATE PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW THAT!"

Now low on time and completely mixed with fear and stress, you once again choose the easiest solution. You hop to the cart and cut off the wheels.

"Why?!"

Without answering Dylan you grab hold of the cart and lift it over your body, then maneuver completely under it.

"Keep the Grimm occupado!" You command as you begin running down the track.

"But… I… you're an idiot!" Dylan proclaims, firing a blast of air at Grimm coming at you.

You huff and puff as you carry the cart as fast as you can down the tracks.

"Why did I do this to myself," you huff through your teeth.

It doesn't help that there's dozens of Grimm who're dedicated to ripping your head off your body, but your good buddy Dylan is getting them all except for one Grimm in front of you. Having no other options, you bend your knees and jump over the Grimm, your feet grazing over the Beowolf's head. The moment you land and regain your bearings you sprint forward again. There's a large open bulkhead with a chasm below just for this bomb. Though with the time wasted you only have about ten seconds left.

You burst through the chasm and throw the bomb as hard as you can over the edge. It falls and falls for all the time it has left before setting everything below it ablaze. You fall on your butt, panting at a job well done. Dylan strolls to you, having dealt with all the Grimm that were behind you.

"I don't know how you pulled that off."

You shrug, chuckling.

"My super extraordinary muscles that gets all the ladies," you joke.

"Mm, yet the only one you've gotten is the youngest, most easily impressed one."

"Says the one who can't even get with a former terrorist," you remark.

"I am a former terrorist too, you know."

"Yet that still hasn't helped you," you laugh.

Dylan turns away to ignore you and your idiot remarks… but somehow he starts chuckling.

"I suppose you have me on that one, Slater."

With those words coming from Dylan you just start to laugh. It's so contagious that Dylan can't help but follow along.

"We can do good work, you know?" You state.

"Under an inordinate amount of stress and threat of death, yes we can."

"Whatever works, right?"

Dylan snickers.

"I suppose. But come, we should get going before more Grimm show up," he advises as he stands up and heads towards the tunnel.

You sigh as you get to your feet.

"Fine, lets go.

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After traversing the dark and empty railway you manage to finally see sunlight ahead. The fresh air fills your nostrils and a feeling of peace takes over. Both you and Dylan smile at the sight as your walking speed picks up slightly from eagerness. You finally reach the end and arrive in the Forest of Foreverfall. The red trees and overall bright colours give a welcome change to the dark and dreary cave you were just in.

As you're walking Dylan pulls out his scroll and contacts Oobleck.

"Dr. Oobleck, we've made it out of the cave. What should we do now?"

"Ah, you dealt with the bomb. I had full confidence in you all along! Now, wait for the Bullhead with reinforcements. Once they arrive you'll follow the tracks in hopes of finding the source of all this."

His transmission cuts out and you're left alone again. You cross your arms and rest against a nearby tree.

"I wonder who they're sending."

"Perhaps a real Huntsman? This does seem like a serious situation."

"True. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

With you resting against the tree and Dylan simply standing out in the open, time begins to tick by, if ever so slowly. This does give you both some time to relax from your previous endeavor. It wasn't the most strenuous moment you've been in but your muscle were tense and your heart was pounding. You were very close to death because of a man made machine. That's not the way you'd want to go out at all. Granted that's the third time you've teased death during your time at Beacon. If Death is a mistress than you are her bane.

As your mind wanders from topic to topic your ears pick up the sound of a Bullhead. Both you and Dylan look up to see one hovering half a dozen meters above you. The side door opens and two figures jump out. The first one, to your surprise, is your golden boy Dior with his trusty suitcase. The other you don't see right away… but you do see rose pedals littering the ground.

"Oh…"

Immediately a body slams against you, which crushes you between said body and the tree.

"You're okay! Dr. Oobleck told me about the bomb!" Ruby whines as she burries her face into your chest causing you to slightly blush with both Dylan and Dior watching.

"I… yeah… I was fine," you say in a confident manner. Ruby backs off and stands happily in front of you. "I had the Water God looking after m… he was…" You start breathing heavier as you try to contain your laughter. Dylan Brine the Wa…" You devolve into a giggly child, leaning forward and resting your hands against your knees. "Wa… It's not even funny," you shake your head, laughing even harder.

Dylan is annoyed at this petty joke while Ruby and Dior are contracting your contagious laughter with their own giggles. You take a moment to get your bearings, huffing at the two newcomers.

"So what are you doing here?" You ask in a more serious voice.

"We're your reinforcements, (Y/N)," Dior answers.

Ruby excitedly nods as she awaits your response. However your face doesn't become one of joy like she assumed. Instead you look into her eyes with concern. You close your eyes, huff, and turn away.

"No. Go back. Dylan and I can handle this."

"What?" Ruby blurts out.

"Y-You can't be serious?" Dior interjects.

Dylan remains silent, keeping a close eye on your facial tells. He knows why you're saying it, or at least has a hunch as to why. It's still amazes him how you can go from a cocky, laid back idiot to a serious Huntsman in a second… all because of one girl. This isn't about Dior. This is about Ruby.

"It's too dangerous for you both. We can handle this."

Ruby marches up to you, grabs your arm and spins you around to lock her determined eyes with yours.

"You can't just tell me to leave! I'm not some fragile princess! You've seen me fight!"

"You also know that she was right in the thick of the Breach, right?" Dylan casually adds. "She's also the leader of a team."

"Doesn't matter," you strongly say. "This is too dangerous,"

"Oh phooey! It's not and you know it!" Ruby argues. "You're not leaving me out of this!"

You both stare intently at each other for what feels like an eternity for everyone. You're the one to turn and walk away towards the large stone walls blocking your path. You don't say another word and neither does she. Instead, once you're far enough, she stomps her foot on the ground and crosses her arms.

"I'm not weak! I can help!" She mumbles to herself.

Dylan and Dior approach the hooded girl to console her.

"He knows you're not weak, Ruby. He's just scared."

Ruby raises her brow and looks towards the Faunus. She uncrosses her arms and gives the man her full attention.

"What do you mean?"

Dylan looks over at you as you analyze the stone door. Dior notices this too and decides to leave this to Dylan and deal with you. He leaves the two and jogs towards you as you gently drag your fingers along a carving in the door.

"Has it not crossed your mind that he's only wanting you gone because you are more important to him than Dior or myself?"

"Well… I mean-"

"Think on when he fought my sister with Weiss. Aza nearly killed both Weiss and Slater but he sent Weiss away before anything could happen to her. When Harrier betrayed us he sent me away before the battle. He's an idiot who thinks that he can handle things on his own… but he only does that so he knows nobody else will get hurt. He thinks more than I give him credit for, but he uses his heart more than his head. I suppose that's why we're a good team." Dylan sighs as he crosses his arms. "You're coming with us, I'll make sure of that. Just prove that you belong here. Don't whine, don't try to show off, just show him that you don't need protecting."

Ruby smiles with a newfound passion. She nods at the Faunus with a glowing smile.

"Yeah… alright!"

Dylan slowly leads Ruby towards you and Dior.

"You'll need to know a few things. We found some Mutated Grimm…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Do you think you're being a little too harsh on Ruby?" Dior opens up as he comes to a halt behind you.

You look over your shoulder at your friend, shake your head and return the attention to the door.

"She doesn't need to be here."

"She's a Huntress-in-Training, same as you."

"A lot of people are. Doesn't mean we're all equal."

"So you're better than them?"

"No, I…" You breathe through your nose before turning to Dior with a condescending smile. "You know I don't think that, Dior."

He nods.

"I know. In fact I think this is just history repeating itself."

"What?"

"Remember when you began dating Rogue? You're very overprotective, (Y/N)," he chuckles.

"That's because…" You sigh. "I guess there's nothing I can do anyway. She's coming anyway, I can tell Dylan will keep her. Just do me a favour and watch over her, alright?"

Dior bows his head.

"I'll do everything I can. I promise."

With that conversation done Dylan and Ruby join the group.

"So… I-"

"You're coming, don't worry," you cut Ruby off. "Just be careful. I have a feeling that those aren't the only Mutated Grimm we'll find."

"Mutated G-G-Grimm?" Dior repeats with more intrigue than worry.

"Yeah, we'll fill you in. First we just need to pass through the door."

Dylan approaches it and notes the carving near the bottom.

"Perhaps we have to find a-"

You quickly unsheathe Crimson Blaze and cut through the air to send a sonic wave that makes the stone as fragile as butter. The upper half of the door falls back to give you all a way past.

"Nailed it," you say before hopping over the broken door and continuing on.

The rest of the group look at each other and shrug. Ruby jumps over the door and catches up to you so she can at least walk with you before any Grimm interrupt.

"S-So the Mutated Grimm?" Dior repeats to the Faunus beside him.

 **So there's another step for the Grimm Eclipse Saga. Two more chapters until it ends, a little more stuff, and Volume 3 begins! However… I do have some news for you readers. Crimson Shadow's production is going to be slowing down for the next few months. My other story, Project's Past, is very close to completion and I'm itching to work on it as much as I can to complete it. I hope you all understand. I know this story is more popular and most of you don't care about my Frozen stuff, but that story is really important to me and completing it would be a huge milestone for me personally and for my writing… "career." So I hope you all understand and, I mean the sooner I finish that the sooner I start another story (which could possibly be another RWBY one). So I just hope you all understand.**

 **But I hope you're all enjoying this Saga. I know I'm changing dialogue and events but… I mean where's the fun if I just copy it all? I wanna have fun with this and as long as I'm not making it too far-fetched I should be fine. It's not like you can't google it to see what happens in Grimm Eclipse… though who says it's going to go EXACTLY the same!**

 **Anyway, I'll see you all later! Again, production of this story is going to be slown down so you might not see another chapter until next month. I really can't say. I wanna go PP, PP, CS, repeat. So… we'll have to see.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Ever want me to write a one-shot for you? Maybe a few? Maybe one every few months? Perhaps get the inside scoop on how I write, ideas for future or current stories, and even help writing your own story? Consider checking out my page! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72**


	27. Chapter 27: A Minor Complication

**Chapter 27: A Minor Complication**

Your improvised four-man team traverses the beautiful and dangerous grounds of the Forest of Foreverfall. You're in pairs of two with only a few feet between each group. The one ahead is you and Ruby, the other consisting of Dylan and Dior. The two at the back are alert and focused on any Grimm that might attack, along with making sure you're following the tracks. You and Ruby, on the other hand, are just barely starting up a conversation.

"You cutting that door was really cool," Ruby mentions, stirring a conversation.

"Huh? Oh, I guess. Can't you do that?" You raise your brow with a sly smirk.

Ruby immediately puffs her chest.

"O-Of course I could! I could have cut it to little pieces super quick!"

You snicker.

"I know you could."

Ruby's face drops a bit as she debates whether to bring up the topic.

"I… I can do this, you know. I'm not weak."

You huff, knowing this would come up sooner or later… though it's only been ten minutes so the gap is small.

"I know. Ever thought I don't want you here because you're too cute? You might distract me," you tease, nudging her arm.

Ruby madly blushes at your remark, but then just punches your arm.

"You better not! I'm being serious!"

You laugh at her reaction and take pride that you guessed exactly what she would do. You slide your hands into your pockets and tilt your head back to look at the sky.

"I know… I just don't have a good track record with partners, you know? But hey, I've never lost anyone on a mission! That's a positive, I guess."

"We're a team, you know that! (Y/N) and Ruby, the unstoppable duo both on the battlefield and…" Ruby pauses for a moment as she tries to think of what to say. "Dating!"

You let out a sigh of relief that she didn't say what you thought she was going to say.

"Sure, why not. But I'm obviously the one who carries this duo."

"That's not fair! My feet hurt sometimes!" Ruby pouts.

"Then you carry me once in a while!" You chuckle.

Dior and Dylan walk a few feet behind you, yet their ears can still pick up on the slightly annoying couples talk you two are spewing despite being in the middle of a mission. If anything, they have to respect your ability to defuse a potential argument and put a smile on the young girl's face. Thankfully no Grimm have shown up but you and Ruby would instantly get serious and deal with the threat. It's been some time since you've done battle with Ruby. The last time you remember is when they rescued you from the monster in the maze. You both have grown since then, so, secretly you're eager to see what she can do. If only it wasn't in such a dangerous situation with an unknown enemy and no real back up. Then again you'd trust your life with all three of your comrades. You hope they feel the same. It's important for a team to trust each other else it leads to disaster.

The four of you reach the edge of your walkway that leads to a path below with a large tree that's in the middle of some sort of shrine. Though the fact that there are a few Grimm skulking about take away from your interest in the plant. You instantly note the ones with a green tint, indicating they're mutated.

"Great, there's more of them," you sigh.

"That is a g-g-good sign, no?" Dior brings up. "We're g-going the r-r-right way?"

You nod, flashing a smile at your stuttering friend.

"That's true. Alright, lets clean up this mess and continue on our way."

Everyone nods in agreement and waits for your signal. You _**step**_ in front of one of a Beowolf, taking it by surprise with a powerful back hit to its snout. The creature flies through the air and collides with a fellow Grimm, knocking them both to the ground. You, once again, _**step**_ above them, unsheathing your blade and cutting through them like silk, your blade digging into the soil below. Once the two Grimm deteriorate you stand up straight and look over your shoulder to the rest of the Grimm. Three Beowolves, two Ursai, six Creeps, and two Boarbatusks. The Grimm crowd around you, growling at their new prey. They fail to notice the group of three Huntsmen behind them. Dior sets down his briefcase and opens it. There's nothing there until Dior scans his hand on the base of the compartment. The briefcase begins to transform, scanners, keypads, and all sorts of technology pop up. The state of his, yours, Ruby's, and Dylan's aura pops up on the top right corner while the scanner is in the middle. The scanner shows all the Grimm nearby and far, though it's focused on the immediate area, plus your group.

"I'm set u-u-up," Dior shouts.

Ruby and Dylan look back at the man, confused.

"T-This is my place," he affirms.

"Don't worry about him. Dior can take care of himself," you shout to your friends, flipping over a rushing Boarbatusk and holding off a powerful swing from an Ursa.

Dylan and Ruby both enter combat in different ways. Ruby jumps forward, twirling in her cape to get the speed advantage on the Ursa attacking you. She spins out of her cape, activating Crescent Rose and hooking her scythe onto the creature's stomach as she slides to a halt. Once confirmed its stuck, she pulls on her weapon and fires the gun, effectively killing the larger Grimm.

Dylan, on the other hand, gently hops off the ledge and walks towards the Grimm. Zephyr Shale lights up and extends as he gets closer. The Mutated Grimm are separated from the group you and Ruby are focused on, which leaves Dylan to deal with the few ones left. He knows they explode so distance is key in this skirmish. Luckily Dylan has a variety of ranged attacks, including his semblance. Lucky for him the Grimm decide to make the decision for him. One of the Mutated ones rush Dylan, thus forcing him to send a pressurized wave of air at the Grimm, barreling it into the others and causing them all to explode. He deactivates his weapons and sighs.

"You don't need to be flashy to get the job done."

Keeping his weapons activated, Dylan jogs around the tree to see if you two need any help. On that side of the tree you and Ruby are battling the Grimm that surround you. Ruby has Crescent Rose pinned to the ground as she fires at the ones in front of her. You're covering her back, _**stepping**_ from Grimm to Grimm as you cut them down quickly and efficiently. The difference between you two makes Dylan chuckle. Ruby blows them apart with her gun while you cut them in half. A smooth approach versus a messy one. Hard for him to believe that you're the smooth one.

A Beowolf catches Ruby offguard, leaping over her shot, with its claws ready to sink into the hooded Huntress-in-Training. Ruby catches this and pulls out the blade from the ground then fires her sniper. The force pushes the small bodied girl out of harm's way. Before she can touch the ground she spins Cresecent Rose to aim behind her and fires the gun again. This redirects her towards the vulnerable Beowolf and allows her to cut the beast in two with her deadly scythe. She twirls the weapon around her so fast that it's moderately difficult for Dylan to follow. This, of course, is for her to buy time and see which direction she should move herself to counter her foe.

"D-D-Dylan, be careful! More Grimm a-are on the way!" Dior's voice speaks through his scroll.

"How did you gain access to my scroll?" Dylan shouts, turning away from Ruby's show to spot any other oncoming Grimm.

"I have access to all y-y-your scrolls. It's what I do," he sheepily states. "I-I'm sorry for n-n-not telling you. But I can see there are more Beowolves and… something e-else."

"Something else? What kind of something else?"

"I th-think it has the s-s-same signature as the Mutated ones."

"And it's different from these?" Dylan inquires.

"D-Definitely."

Ruby twirls through the pack of Grimm as a mere flash of red with the sound of gunfire to compliment it. The Grimm are facing her red wrath, though they never think to not attack her. She swings her weapon around and drags it through the ground to slow herself down. The Grimm are coming from all around her, all consisting of Beowolves now that you and her have killed all the others. She takes the moment to take a breather. Using her semblance this much along with the constant fighting is slightly tiring, but she's nowhere near out of stamina. Unlike a certain boyfriend she has, she can't move from place to place instantaneously.

You, on the other hand, have no need for a breather. You're well aware of the incoming Grimm, your scroll being connected to Dior's prior to this. That means you're also aware of the new Mutated Grimm coming as the special guest. You'll make sure to get a hold of it first. You don't want it getting close to Dylan, Dior, and especially Ruby. You've been _**stepping**_ over to her crowd every now and then to subtly thin her crowd. She doesn't need your help, but your feelings get the better of you in this regard. You want her to be in the least amount of danger as possible.

Noting her short break, you _**step**_ to her side and rest a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Little Red?"

"Yep, just making sure I have my back against the wall so none can get me," she says, flicking her head towards the natural wall behind you both.

Her hair falls back into place as her eyes count every Grimm in front of her.

"More a-a-are coming. Please, be caref-ful," Dior alerts everyone.

You tap your fingers on your hilt as you think.

"Why are they all focusing here? Dior, is there any sort of other technology in the area?"

Dior, without responding, start typing into his keyboard while his eyes watch the scanner and data popping up.

"Yes! A few miles away there seems to be some sort of camp!" Dior responds.

"Any idea what's there?" Dylan chimes in, keeping the Grimm at bay.

Dior rubs his chin with one hand and keeps typing with the other.

"I ca-an't be sure… B-But there are Grimm th-there."

"Then that's where we're going. We have to push through the Grimm! Keep together, watch each other's backs, and let's take them down!" You command.

"Got it!" Dior and Dylan both respond.

Ruby looks up at you, admiring how easily you've taken upon the role of a leader. Being one herself it's different to take orders, but your tone, the way you speak makes it easy for her to listen to what you say.

"Little Red, you wanna take these ones out together?" You flash a smirk. She eagerly nods, to which you chuckle at. "Alright, we'll make short work of them!"

The Beowolves all start to flood in from every direction like a wave of black and white death. Dior keeps to the sidelines, a countermeasure always in effect incase something comes to attack him.

"Dylan, lets meet together. Form a circle to have each other's backs. Dior, I want you in the middle of that!" You shout as you run towards your enemy.

You slide past a Beowolf, cutting it diagonally, then spinning around and slicing through two more. Ruby rushes to your blindside, hooking onto a Beowolf and looping onto its back. She pulls the trigger, effectively cutting the Beowolf in two and giving her the high ground, if only for a second. Ruby switches her weapon to rifle mode and starts firing at the Beowolves below, the force behind each shot keeping her in the air for a little longer. Noticing that the heads of the beasts are being blown off, you take the opportunity to get out of the crowd and land beside Dior, who's already set up with Dylan. The Faunus is blowing back all Grimm on his side, eviscerating some while merely hindering others.

"T-The big signal is a-a-almost here," Dior informs everyone.

Everyone silently acknowledges his warning as they deal with the waves of Grimm. From every direction the soulless beasts attack with intent on dimming the four souls before them. Ruby fires at all Grimm coming at her, unhinging the scythe and attacking whenever they get too close. Dylan punches a Beowolf away then condenses water to catch it and slam it into another Beowolf. He creates a water barrier to his side, looking to that side as a Beowolf's claw gets stuck into the liquid. He grabs some lighting dust and slams it into both gems, then releases some into that water, frying the Grimm. He takes control of that same water and splashes it over the Grimm in his area. He connects his two pieces of Zephyr Shale and channels a large attack into the now completed gem. A large burst of wing and lighting spreads over his area, pushing all the Beowolves back and electrocuting them. Dylan winces as he creates a small barrier of water behind them to act as a net. It successfully catches the Grimm who aren't killed and locks them into the full force of Dylan's massive attack. He splits his weapons apart once more and huffs. Only seconds later more Grimm rush in from every direction towards the young man. He sighs, raising his fists for more action.

Ruby begins simply speed blitzing the Grimm around her, moving from one to the next with rose pedals fluttering behind her. She twists her entire body and cuts a Grimm down, following up by firing Crescent Rose to speed her to the left and decapitate a Grimm from below. She then uses that momentum to aim at another and blow it in half. She hears a Beowolf coming from behind her but a certain someone appears out of shadow to cut him down then disappear, all in a second.

Your job is likely the simplest given that you have the most flexible semblance out of the four. Any who get too close to the middle or who get the drop on an ally is instantly cut down by your blade. But you will get overwhelmed if this continues. There's just too many Grimm in such a small area and not enough room for you to really shine. Even if you used your blood the sheer volume of Grimm would drain your blood too fast. You need an escape plan, at least until you can stop them from coming. Perhaps if you kill the larger target the others would scatter.

"Dior! Where's this Mutated Grimm leading them all?" You shout, sliding across the ground after killing a Grimm.

Not a second later a thunderous howl blankets the area, giving even the Beowolves pause. Your team looks towards the direction of the howl.

"That's it…" You whisper. "I'll deal with this thing! You keep the Beowolves back!"

You _**leap**_ to a higher ledge only to immediately have your head grabbed by the Grimm. It leaps off the ledge. You shout into the Grimm's hand, attempt to kick the back of its head but it slams the back of your head into the ground. The Grimm lifts you off the ground and throws you against the massive tree in the middle of the area. You crash through the trunk, knocking the entire tree forward and crashing on multiple Grimm.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screams, rushing to your side.

Dior and Dylan stare at the new Grimm. Dior grabs an attachment from his briefcase and scans the Grimm. His screens instantly come up with an answer.

"A Beringel… A M-Mutated one…"

Beringel's are already uncommon as they are, but this one is far different. It's usual red eyes and red burns are glowing green. Mutated green spikes pultrude from his thick forearms and upper back. Not only that, but the Beringel is nearly double the size of a regular one.

Ruby helps lift you up from the ground, standing under your armpit to support you.

"Thanks Little Red… but you should stay away from that thing. It's strong."

"So are we," Ruby argues. "We'll have to beat him together."

You lift your arm off Ruby and huff. You can hear Dylan's weapon's going off and the Beringel howling. All the Beowolves clear out at the area out of fear for the monstrous Grimm.

"Well, we have to help Dylan. He's not gonna beat it on his own. You ready for a surprise attack?" You wink.

Ruby happily nods, determination written on her face.

Dior jumps back, holding his briefcase tightly as he avoids a large boulder thrown by the Beringel. He needs a spot to set up, but the Grimm's speed and power is too overwhelming for both Dior and Dylan to handle. Dylan leaps at it from behind and throws a punch at the Beringel. It turns around and grabs his wrist before Dylan's weapon can activate. He slams the young man against the floor then throws him at Dior. The two crash together, rolling along the ground, stunned.

The Beringel beats its chest before leaping at the two students for a punishing blow. As its mid-jump you and Ruby appear close by. Your hands are wrapped around one of Ruby's so you can spin and throw the young woman. Her semblance kicks in, rose pedals flying towards you as she passes by the Beringel, hooking her scythe around it and leading it off course. She grinds her teeth trying to overpower the Grimm for as long as possible. As planned, you appear at their landing-zone, both hands on your hilt. You grip it tightly, waiting for the perfect moment for unleash the blade diagonally slice it's face. Ruby transforms her scythe, allowing her to break away from the Beringel and bounce off the nearby stone wall. The Beringel twirls over you and smashes into the wall behind you. Not missing a beat, it turns around and throws its spiked arm at you. Dylan fires his weapon, pushing the attack of course to miss and giving you a chance to get some distance. Dylan gets back on his feet and takes a stance to battle this powerful Grimm.

You're in front, top right, Dylan is to the left. The Beringel beats its chest and runs toward you and Ruby, being closest together. Ruby lodges her scythe into the ground and fires her gun at the ape. It doesn't affect him in the slightest, each bullet being like a small rock thrown at him. You sprint towards the beast with intent to _**step**_ behind him.

"Dylan! Get to Ruby and fire along with her shots! Dior, try to find this thing's weak point!" You shout out orders before _**stepping**_ above the Beringel and falling atop his head, pushing the Beringel right to the ground. Ruby's cloak covers her as she speeds into the air and dives down, her weapon straightened to pierce its back. You unsheathe your blade, twist your torso, and drive your blade into its spine alongside Ruby's weapon.

"No! GET AWAY!" Dior shouts from a short distance away.

You and Ruby look at Dior, not clearly hearing what he said. This gives the Beringel enough time to charge energy through the spikes and let out an explosion, sending you both in different directions. You instinctively _**step**_ behind Ruby and wrap your arms around her. You take the brunt of the hit as you both slam into the wall then fall to the ground. Ruby, not being hurt thanks to you, lifts herself off you and stays at your side.

"You okay?" You snicker, getting back to your feet.

"Are you? You… didn't have to do that…"

You crack your neck quickly then russle her hair.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, can't let your hood get ruined."

"Could you help?!" Dylan shouts before the Beringel violently grabs his head and crushes it against the ground.

"Right, right, coming!" You respond, _**stepping**_ away from Ruby to join the battle.

Ruby blushes at your "heroic" actions in saving her. But hearing you and Dylan shouting at each other as you battle the Beringel brings her back to reality.

Dylan keeps hammering punch after punch to try and suppress its movements while you wait for Dior's information. The two wounds you and Ruby inflicted don't seem to be hindering its performance in the slightest, and its even starting to overpower Dylan's immense air pressure. Dylan combines Zephyr Shale and blasts it with everything he's got, using what's left of the lighting dust he added earlier. Dior is heavily researching any weaknesses from the Mutated Beringels actions.

The Beringel isn't pushed back by Dylan's attack at all. The lightning trailing through the wind is absorbed into his crystals, rendering it ineffective. The only thing Dylan's doing is being a hindrance to the Beringel, and it decides to be rid of him. It grabs ahold of the large tree that had broken earlier and uses it like a bat, slamming Dylan between the wall and the wood. You hop on the trunk and run across it to close in on the green monstrosity. Seeing you coming at him, Beringel leaps into the air and slams his two fists down on your position. You flip out of the way, your feet crushing the grass beneath them, then spin and rush the monster with your blade. It turns around and knocks away your initial thrust but you circle your blade around and cut it's stomach. You bring your blade overtop and bring it down upon the Grimm, but it blocks your sword with one arm and delivers a gut wrenching punch to your stomach. Ruby zooms in to help, firing her gun behind her to help her speed then jumping forward, her scythe straightened out to stab the Beringel. It spots the young girl's attack and easily counters it, grabbing the end of her weapon and slamming Ruby onto the ground three times before throwing her away like nothing.

He turns his attention back to where you're supposed to be… but there's nothing there. You appear next to Dylan, kicking the large trunk away from your ally and letting it roll.

"You okay, Dylan?" Dylan nods his head. "Good. I need you to distract him. I'm gonna use your momentum to attack."

"Hm… smart. Well, smart for you. Alright!"

Dylan runs away from you, throwing punches to attract the Mutated Beringel's attention.

"Dior, any weaknesses?" You shout, rushing to Ruby's side as she struggles to get on her hands and knees.

"Its more durable than a regular Beringel, but I think if you used your blood it might be enough," Dior responds, his fingers moving at insane speeds while his brain processes the information on his screen.

"Got it!"

You slide beside Ruby, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby, are you okay?"

Ruby nods, her arms shaking from the damage.

"Just stay down. I'll handle him."

"(Y/N)…"

"Don't worry. I won't let him hurt any of you anymore!"

Dylan keeps his barrage up but the Beringel is tanking every attack with little difficulty. He inches closer and closer to the young Faunus, making him nervous. All of a sudden you jump infront of Dylan's attack, using it as momentum to charge forward and lodge your blade into the Beringel's stomach. The Beringel huffs, looking down at you as you awkwardly look up at him.

"I feel like this was a mistake."

Beringel grabs your torso, squeezing it tightly, then jumps into the air and readies to slam you down.

"DEFINIETLY A MISTAKE!" You frantically shout.

"(Y/N)!" Dior and Dylan scream, Ruby just getting around the corner to see what's happening.

You keep your hands on your blade, watching as you close in on the ground. The second you're about to hit you _**step**_ a meter up, flipping the direction so you're on top and the Beringel is towards the ground. You slam into the ground, dust flying up from the impact. Though a break in the dust occurs when you jump into the air, letting go of your hilt to wrap your hand around the blade. Your blood seeps onto the black steel and quickly covers the entire surface of the blade. You grab the hilt once more and point the blade at the Beringel. Your blood flow speeds up as the blade grows even larger than Yatsuhashi's. You grab the hilt with both hands and throw yourself down, your legs bent and spread for the impact of the ground. You enter the dust once more, slamming the larger blade into the same entry point you originally made. Adding more blood to the mix, two extra blade sprout from just below the hilt, piercing it's lower stomach and head. The blood circulates through the Mutated Beringel, taking the form of small needles. Once filled with them, you expand all those small needles into daggers, tearing apart the Beringel from the inside.

When the dust clears you're kneeling, breathing heavily with one hand still on your sword while the other is against the ground. Dylan and Ruby approach you; Ruby slides to a halt, getting lower to be right beside you.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

Her eyes look to the blade and notice the pool of blood where the Beringel once was.

"I took care of it… Just a little tiring, you know?" You give her a smile.

"You don't have to push yourself. We could have done it as a team," Dylan scolds, deactivating Zephyr Shale.

You look to the pool of blood, a smile still on your face.

"I know… I guess I just wanted to make sure it didn't hurt any of you. Besides," you push off the ground and pull Crimson Blaze out of the ground, sheathing it. "I'll get that blood back. Can't replace you guys as easily."

Ruby stands up as well, still right at your side.

"So what's our next move?" She inquires.

You look over her head to the golden boy.

"Dior?"

"Well… I m-managed to t-t-trace that Grimm's tra-avel pattern. It came from th-the same direction where I'm picking u-up a large signature."

"Grimm?" Dylan guesses.

Dior shakes his head.

"M-M-Man made."

You breathe a sigh of relief that you have a lead.

"Alright, lets take a second to regroup then we'll head out."

You take a seat against the all, keeping your eyes on your team while they relax.

"How many Mutated Grimm do you think there are?" Ruby pipes up. You all glance at Ruby for an explanation. "Well… there were a lot of those ones that explode. What if there are more Beringels? Or Beowolves? Ursai?"

"We did have trouble with that one. If there are more…" Dylan crosses his arms and thinks.

You can tell the morale is slightly shaken. You are just students going against Grimm that are far more powerful than normal ones.

"Well, let them come," you speak. "We took down that one. As long as we stay together and work together there's nothing that'll stop us. Besides, I don't think you two realize how helpful my good friend Dior is." Dior shrinks in on himself at your compliment. "So we'll beat anything that comes at us… worst comes to worst we run away," you casually shrug.

Dylan snickers at your comment.

"You mean you'd tell us to run away?"

You guiltily shrug.

"Hey, what can I say?"

Dylan shakes his head and walks away, looking to the path leading ahead. Your joyous face slowly descends into a blank one as your mind delves into deep thought.

 _The power those Mutated Grimm have are insane. I've fought Beringels before but none were like that. If what Ruby said was true and there are more of them, plus Beowolves and Ursai… I don't know how we'll handle them… how I'll get everyone out of there._

You shake your head and smile.

 _Well, I better think of something. I'm the team leader… I'm the one who protects everyone._

You get to your feet and dust off your pants.

"Everyone ready to move out?"

The trio looks to you and nods. You smile at their answer.

"Alright. Dior, any Grimm nearby?"

He shakes his head.

"N-No, they fl-fled when the Bering-gel came. There may be s-stragglers though."

"We'll be able to handle them. Lets get going, then. We won't accomplish anything standing around."

Dior and Dylan walk ahead of you, knowing you're waiting for Ruby to walk with. Ruby catches up with you and you start actually walking.

"You… you won't actually send us away, right?" She says with a stern look on your face.

You let out a single laugh.

"I'd have more luck putting the moon together than splitting us apart during a battle."

Ruby smiles at your comment. You're absolutely right in that matter. She gets even closer to you, almost making you trip from the lack of space.

"Nope," she cutely says.

"Exactly."

Dylan looks over his shoulder to the two of you smiling together. He returns his gaze forward to the path. As you all climb the incline Dylan and notes the train tracks looming in the distance. As fate would have it, a train passes by in a flash.

"You saw that?" Dylan asks.

"I d-d-did," Dior confirms.

"Likely will lead to the signature you found. Guess that means you were right."

"Never doubt Dior," you shout from behind. "He's yet to be wrong."

"You p-pressure me."

"TEAM!" A voice shouts through all your scrolls, scaring the lot of you. "What's your status?" Oobleck inquires.

"We're following tracks to a signature Dior picked up. But sir, there's a lot of powerful Grimm around here. We encountered a Beringel."

"The existence of such a Grimm is disturbing. Considering the fact you're speaking to me I gather you defeated it?"

"We managed, yeah."

"Excellent. Be on your guard, students! If whoever's behind this could manipulate a Beringel then we can't underestimate them!"

You crack your neck.

"Yeah, we got that. We'll report in when we find something," you answer, cutting the line between the Doctor and your team.

"Alright, lets get a move on!" You take charge.

You leave Ruby's side and start running along the path, passing Dior and Dylan. Ruby is the first to chase after you, Dylan being next and Dior following last. You all sprint forward, jumping off a ledge and continuing on with no Grimm to stand in your way. You all cover the distance in a short time, reaching a bridge and crossing it in seconds, pairs of feet touching stones that haven't felt human touch in years. You pass into a large area with a tunnel leading through the small mountains. You all land in the larger area, taking a moment to give Dior a break. He's definitely the least physically fit person that you know despite the aid of his aura. He really fits the mold of a poorly built genius.

You turn around and look to Dior who's breathing heavily, contrary to everyone else who's not even breaking a sweat.

"You're alright, Dior?"

He nods, taking a knee and opening his briefcase.

"I-I won't slow you d-down."

He hits a button and sets the box down. Dylan and Ruby take a gander out of curiosity. The briefcase quickly begins to morph, taking on a form of a hover board.

"That's new," you note. "You've given it more forms?"

Dior steps on the board as he gives you his attention.

"I have. It n-n-no longer only serves for c-combat."

"Whoa!" Ruby ogles, rushing up to the boy. "Your weapon can morph? What can it be? What can it be?"

"Oh… I-I… well-"

You _**step**_ behind Ruby and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Dior's briefcase has… what, five hundred forms?" You look to him for confirmation.

"S-S-Six hundred now," he corrects.

"Haha, even I haven't seen the original five hundred. But becareful, Dior. Little Red might pick it apart out of curiosity," you joke.

The look in Ruby's eye confirms your statement which makes Dior a tad bit worried that his life's work would be taken apart.

"Come on, we have to hurry if we want to find that train's stop," you egg on, beginning to run into the cave once more.

The rest follow suite. Dior makes sure not to go too fast and abandon you all like he could. Then again you and Ruby could likely keep up easily with your semblances, and possibly even Dylan if he let his water carry him. Though none of that matters. Dior is just someone who tends to overthink and overanalyze things. It's part of his shtick. A thinker, not a fighter.

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You all pour out of the tunnel at full speed, preemptively jumping ahead to pass over the ledge ahead and continue onwards without any Grimm in your way, something that is suspicious to all of you. You know the Grimm cleared out when the Beringel came but the fact that there are no Grimm at all makes little sense. Though it's convenient that you don't have to stop and battle them. However now there's a new problem.

The four of you come to a stop when you're met with three stone doors to the left, right, and directly in front of you.

"The tracks aren't around… but this is close that signature you picked up, right?" You state, looking over your shoulder at the now grounded Dior, holding his briefcase.

"Indeed."

You look to the three doors and shrug. You unsheathe Crimson Blaze and approach the door in the middle.

"Middle tends to be the right way," you say, stopping a short distance away from the door.

You pull your arm back and unleash a powerful sonic wave that cuts through the door completely. The stone falls apart, dust scattering from the collision. You sheathe your blade and turn around, pointing towards it.

"You guys go ahead, I can catch up in an instant."

The three nod, passing by as you go the right while they go deeper into the ruin. As they enter you _**leap**_ onto the other side of the right door and proceed. The first thing the trio notices is that there's a plethora of boxes that Dylan knows too well. It's the same boxes that had Grimm imprisoned, yet these ones have been shattered. Dylan activates Zephyr Shale just in case. Ruby and Dior notice this, also becoming prepared. Ruby takes out her weapon and prepares for any danger. The ruin leads to a large arena with more broken containers, glass scattered almost everywhere. Lucky for them it's not a closed space. There's an opening that leads back outside. Thus, the trio takes it.

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You appear on the other side of the door and suddenly pause. For some reason you're head begins to pound. A strange, almost silent buzzing is ringing in your brain that, for some reason, isn't foreign to you. It's like you've felt this same buzzing before somewhere… yet this is slightly different from those vague memories. You pull out your scroll and activate the comm link.

"Anyone else hear a buzzing sound?" You speak.

"No, nothing. You okay, Slater?" Dylan responds.

You shake your head and slide your hand down your face.

"Yeah… maybe I found something. What about you three?" You question, sauntering forward.

Before Dylan answers you spot a large ship coming into a docking area to the left. The same area your teammates would be going.

"Yeah, we found what looks like a dock, but… there isn't much… wait, a ship!"

"I see it too! I'll contact Oobleck, you three be careful!"

You disconnect the call and contact Oobleck.

"Professor!"

"Doctor!" He firmly corrects.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'm sending a picture to you," you state, taking a picture as you talk.

You give Oobleck a moment to receive and identify the picture.

"Oh my… that is an active Merlot Industries ship. I'm informing Ozpin, you examine the ship but be careful! We don't know what security measures are in place. Merlot is dangerous, if he is indeed still alive."

The line disconnects and you're left alone once more. Considering the ship is most important you decide to abandon this route and regroup with your friends. You close your eyes and lock onto the area your team should be in. You _**leap**_ into the ruins, just before the exit that your friends took. That buzzing in your head gets louder. It doesn't hinder your abilities or anything, but it's like a fly constantly buzzing around your ears that's just quiet enough to not make you insane. You slide your hand into your pockets and slowly follow along with where you assume your allies went. You leave the ruin and circle through a small path that leads to the docks.

However the moment your eyes land on the docking area they widen with fear. Ruby is rolling along the floor, her weapon not even with her. You _**step**_ right beside her and catch her rolling body. The moment you catch her you feel an incoming body from your right so you jump forward to dodge it. You slide across the ground and turn to see what exactly attacked you. As you turn your eyes catch dozens of other figures standing along the crates. They're all Grimm, they're all Mutated, and you're getting worried. Mutated Beowolves and Beringel watch you from the high ground, growling and huffing at your mere presence. You're holding Ruby defensively to protect her unconscious form.

 _If Ruby's here… where is Dylan and Dior?_

Your eyes sporadically switch from Grimm to Grimm as you slowly turn around and realize that you're completely surrounded by these Mutated Grimm. But, when you face the ship, you see something foreign to you. Two large, red, humanoid androids stand prominently; one is holding Dior and Dylan by the throat, both unconscious as well, while the other carries Ruby's Crescent Rose and Dior's briefcase, Calamity. Knowing all your friends were defeated by these mysterious androids and Grimm gets your blood boiling. You want to _**leap**_ out of there to get Ruby to safety but leaving behind Dior and Dylan doesn't sit right with you. At the same time if you had so much trouble as a team against one Beringel, how well can you fair against dozens of Mutated Beringels and Beowolves alone?

Having their objectives, the androids disappear into a blue bubble, taking the weapons and your friends with them. A second later they're replaced with new ones ready to face you.

"NO!"

As if the order was given to both Grimm and the androids, everything leaps towards you to kill. Unfortunately you don't have enough time to _**leap**_ far away so you'll have to fight your way out and keep Ruby safe. A Beringel leaps off the container and slams its fists down on you. You slide forward into the android's attack, which you're forced to backflip onto the Beringel's shoulders then jump towards the vulnerable machines. You spin around and drive your heel into the right one's face, then _**step**_ behind the left one and kick it to the ground. You land, feet on either side of the grounded android, and spot all the incoming Grimm. You jump back towards the ship, giving yourself more time to think but, unknown to you, three more androids exit the ship and approach you from behind. One charges up and slams your back, catching you completely off guard and sending you forward.

Due to the attack you accidentally release Ruby and let her roll across the stone floor. While you're in midair a Beringel grabs your head, burying your face in its palm, and slams you into the ground, stones shooting up from the impact. In retaliation you pull your body towards his arm and wrap your legs around it. You push down as hard as you can, bringing the Beringel to its knees. You quickly grab your sword and bury it into the Beringel's arm. This loosens its grip on your face, allowing you to escape. Instantly you look for Ruby who is now in the arms of one of the androids.

Anger circulates through you – you can't think straight.

"LET HER GO!" You scream, charging towards the android.

Unfortunately your rage has a side effect: tunnel vision. You're so focused on saving Ruby you don't think to use your semblance, you don't think to use your blood, and you don't even think to pay attention to the enemies around you. Because of that, a Beowolf's claws cut you off, damaging your aura. You fall onto your back and almost instantly have your leg grabbed by a Beringel that slams you into the nearest container then throws you into another one. Your impact tips it into the water below, leaving you lying along the edge.

You shakily get to your feet, nothing else on your mind but saving Ruby. You get back on your feet and look for the android holding your girlfriend hostage… but its gone. She's gone. All that's left is a small army of the Mutated Beringel and Beowolves, three androids, and now regular Beowolves are crawling out of the woodwork around you. You grip your sword hard enough that any standard blade would fold under the pressure. There's white, black, and green for as far as the eye can see, all hungry for you. Having nothing to lose you slide your hand to the blade and let your blood flow, amplifying its effects immensely. You return your hand to the hilt and sprint towards the group, shouting at the top of your lungs.

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"Students! Students report in!" Oobleck frantically calls out over your scrolls. "Students, what's happened? Where are you?" Oobleck stares at the scroll in his hand, a lump in his throat at the possibilities. He lowers his hand and stares at the ground. "Oh dear… Ozpin's not going to like this…"

 **Hey! Look! Crimson Shadow has an update! Imagine that! Yeah, I know my updates for this have been slow and I apologize. Actually I'm going to have to do it again in a moment. Crimson Shadow probably won't be updated again until August. I know, that's a long time but I want to fully dedicate my time to Project's Past and get those six chapters done by my three year anniversary! It is my fist story, after all, so its fitting to end it the day it started. So I apologize but Crimson Shadow is on a small hiatus until August. After Project's Past is done I will give my full attention to Crimson Shadow for a while before I start up a new story. I know I'm leaving it on a cliff hanger too, but… actually, I didn't really mean to leave it like this, but, what can you do?**

 **So Grimm Eclipse is getting close to done. Honestly the most interesting parts will be coming in the next chapters. I'm glad to finally be getting to the meat of the story… in two months… whatever, c'est la vie. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless and look forward to the next update. I'll truly try to finish PP ASAP and return to this, but I can only write so much so fast.**

 **Thank you for all the continued support you've given this story. It means a lot to me, truly. I hope you stick around for the next update. I promise it'll be like the old times come August where this is updated two or three times a month. Anyway, I'll see you all next time!**


	28. Chapter 28: The Island of Dr Merlot

**Chapter 28: The Island of Dr. Merlot**

Ozpin's eyes slip across page after page, his mind taking in every piece of information. All of it regards the Vytal Festival and the "aid" Atlas will be sending in. Whether Ozpin agrees with this assistance or not matters little at this point – he has no choice in the matter.

Thankfully something happens to distract him from the endless pages. More specifically, Dr. Oobleck exits the elevator and slams his hands on Ozpin's desk. Oobleck may be an erratic individual, but never before has he appeared in Ozpin's office with such a presence. In that moment its clear to the headmaster that something is awry.

"Yes, Doctor?" He starts with his regular calm demeanor.

"Well, yes, remember my report on the current situation involving Port's security nodes?"

"The ones with Merlot technology on them? I do."

"Well our students have been investigating further and, well, contact with them has been unattainable for some time."

Ozpin's brow raises.

"They've disappeared?" Ozpin repeats in simpler terms. "Who has gone missing?"

"Dior Aurik, Ruby Rose, Dylan Brine, and-"

"(Y/N) Slater?" Ozpin guesses with an inner chuckle.

Oobleck quickly nods.

"Correct. They were investigating an active Merlot ship when I lost contact with them."

Ozpin taps his desk as he decides his next course of action.

"Very well… keep trying to regain contact with them. The moment you do I want to know."

"Yes, sir!"

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You let out a soft moan as your senses slowly come back to you. Eyes still closed, you lift your hand to your head and rub it, messing with the hair that's in between. Lucky for you there's no pain to feel. You can't quite remember if they knocked out your aura or not, but feeling absolutely nothing means enough time has passed for your aura to completely recover. You open your eyes and see… absolute darkness. Wherever you are is so dark that you can't see the tip of your nose. Thus you start doing a check. You raise your hand and call your sword to you… and it comes from beside you. Since it was nearly instantaneous, your sword was also in this location. Next, you bang your fist on the wall behind you. It's a hollow, metal sound.

"Hm…"

You turn to face the wall while placing your right hand on the hilt. You slice the air and quickly sheath your blade in one fell swoop. The entire top half of your container flies to the side and splashes into the water. The sudden introduction of light forces you to cover your eyes.

"Sheesh, even the sun's out to get me," you remark.

Under the shadow of your hand, you observe your surroundings. There's water as far as the eye can see, which you already gathered when you heard the splash of water before. You turn around and check the other side but something catches your eye. In the same container, on the other side, is Dylan, Ruby, and Dior. They're all sleeping, weapons beside them, unharmed. You can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief that your friends are okay. You let your hand fall to your side and jog to them. You place a hand on Dylan and Dior's shoulders, as they're against adjacent walls while Ruby is in the corner, and shake them.

"Guys, come on! Dior, Dylan, wake up!" You say as you shake them a bit harder.

Thankfully they begin to stir as their senses return to them as they did for you. Knowing they're getting up, you move to Ruby and kneel in front of her. You place a hand on her shoulder like you did the others and shake her.

"Hey, Little Red. Wakey Wakey, cookies and… um…" You totally blank out as you attempt to find a rhyme. "Milkshakey..? Hm… I suck."

Ruby stirs as her body returns to the realm of the conscious. You retract your hands, just barely grazing over hers as she goes to rub her eyes. She lets out a cute yawn that somehow hits you hard. It was so soft, so innocent and so adorable that your mind can barely comprehend it. For a moment you nearly forget you were just abducted and aboard a ship in the middle of nowhere.

Her eyes flicker open to view you staring back at her with concern.

"(Y/N)?" She whispers.

"Heya," you warmly smile. "Hate to wake you but we got some work to do."

Ruby's eyes drift to the side as she recollects recent events.

"Where are we?" She asks with a more serious tone.

You stand up straight and offer your hand to the young woman, which she takes and copies your standing stature.

"I'm hoping Dylan can answer that," you look over your shoulder at your Faunus friend.

"I'm working on that. The Ocean is large, you know."

"Charming as ever," you say under your breath, returning your gaze to Ruby. "Well, this isn't the worst thing that could happen."

"I-I-Indeed. This boat w-will likely bring us to th-the source," Dior speaks.

"Or to a trap," Dylan interjects, eyes closed.

You turn away from Ruby and take a few steps towards your friends.

"I'm pretty sure if they wanted us dead it would have happened. Curious why Merlot, I guess, would store us on his ship," you cross your arms and think on this.

Dior scratches his head as his mind goes through the possible answers. He doesn't quite have enough information to make a reliable response thus he remains silent. Instead, Dior takes some time to himself to search the ship. He hops off the container and lands between two other closed containers. This ship is clearly transporting something, likely Grimm considering what was discovered in the temple. He tightens his grip on the briefcase before cautiously proceeding to scour the ship for any details that might be useful in the future.

"Well, I know one thing," Dylan says after a minute of silence. "We're approaching an island. Can you see it, Slater? To the south-west."

You close your eyes and see past your physical form. A fair distance away is an island, the closest side having a port. Taking almost a minute to find this island, you finally open your eyes and nod your head.

"Yeah, I saw it. Might as well just wait on the boat. No need to _**leap**_ us all there," you decide, taking a seat against the lower half of the container. "Besides, Dior's probably searching the ship as we speak. We can just relax until then."

Dylan turns around and faces both you and Ruby.

"I don't like this. Like you said, whoever's behind this could have killed us. They made us look like fools, took us down without even a fight."

"Well, that's not entirely accurate," you point out. "But they definitely knew we were coming. There were way too many of them for me to consider it a simple escort or guards."

Dylan taps his pants while he ponders this. You lightly smack the container to derail Dylan's train of thought.

"Don't worry about it, Dylan. Worst comes to worst I can _**leap**_ us out of there or you can just scoop us out. I mean, it's an island in the middle of the ocean. It's literally your element."

"That's… true, I suppose," Dylan hesitantly accepts.

"H-Hey, we're still Huntsmen! We can handle anything they throw at us!" Ruby cheerfully motivates.

"Exactly, Little Red. We won't get caught off guard again, Dylan. We'll stick together from here on out, watch each other's backs. I won't let anything happen to you guys," you give both of them a reassuring smile. "I promise. Now, let's get ready for this island. We have no idea what we'll encounter."

"Right," both Ruby and Dylan reply.

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You _ **leap**_ the four of you onto the beachhead before the ship can dock. It would have only taken a minute or two, but there was no point in delaying your arrival. Dior immediately looks towards the sky for a relay. While on the ship he found a signal being broadcast over miles. Not only does it command the ship remotely, but it also blocks off any form of communication to the outside world. Finding these relays would both sabotage the operation and allow you to contact Dr. Oobleck once more to report in.

"Are you okay from that?" Dylan inquires, not bothering to face you.

"No, it was a short distance. No need for concern," you respond. "But… do you guys hear that?"

Like before, a very high pitch ringing echoes in your ears, refusing to stop.

The three look at each other, then shake their heads.

"No. Are you sure you're okay?" Ruby asks with concern.

You wave her off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, let's get moving."

You take the time to observe your current surroundings. Most of it consists of natural stone walls blocking off the inner sections of the island. This isn't a problem for a Huntsmen as three of you could easily scale the wall, though only three of you could do it without mechanical assistance. Sand decorates the space with small rocks littered about the water's edge. Surprisingly there are patches of grass or lone bushes spread about awkwardly. None of this indicates any nefarious beings, however – just an odd landscape.

The four of you start following the path that leads around the island. This leads you through a makeshift gate and towards a larger beach. Ruby takes a few steps away from the ground to take a gander at a wooden dock that, at first glance, seems to have been here for quite some time. It's definitely not for Merlot, that's for sure.

"Think people live on this island?" She brings up.

Dior scratches his head.

"P-P-Perhaps. If the agriculture is s-sustainable then it's plausible."

"Hey, up there!" Dylan points to what appears to be a satellite dish in the next area.

Instead of following Dylan's finger you instead swing your head towards Ruby's location as she stares at the dock. Your mind sparks the moment you spot an android materializing at Ruby's blind spot. Its halberd is already in mid-swing for the young woman's body. Before she even knows what's happened you _**step**_ between her and the android. Your sheath is already in your hand, allowing you to redirect the attack towards the air beside her, then you slam your fist into its chest to make breathing room.

The android's feet grind it to a halt along the sand, finally halting in a patch of grass. Ruby turns around at the commotion and tenses when she sees the android. Her mindset changes to battle mode. She grabs her weapon off her belt and activates the scythe.

"You okay?"

"Mhm," she nods. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Now…" Your take note of the two that appear beside the original. "Let's deal with these ones. Dylan!" You look over to your friend who's also ready to battle. "Take Dior to the tower! Ruby and I will deal with these!"

Dylan's body shakes as he moves back and forth, hesitant to follow through with either decision. In the end, he follows your order and runs with Dior down the path and into the cave. You and Ruby stand side by side against the single android who paces around you both.

"Let's show this bucket of bolts who's boss!" Ruby says with a confident smile.

Ruby covers herself in her cloak and speeds around the android to reach its flank. She unravels herself and dashes forward, firing her weapon to get even more speed. As she does this you dash off your back leg and glide across the ground at the android. You stay low, Ruby goes high, and you both damage the android. You slide to a halt and repeat the process three times, damaging key locations on the enemy. After the third strike Ruby pins the tip of Crescent Rose to the ground and fires at the android's chest. It breaks to pieces then dematerializes.

You sheathe your weapon with one hand and scratch your head with the other.

"Hm, they did the same thing when they took you three. I guess this Merlot guy doesn't want his androids examined."

Ruby moves her sniper up and fires at you. Your eyes widen before you duck.

"HAAAAAAAA, Ruby why?" You whine.

You hear the bullet hit metal followed by something falling on the ground. You blink twice before slowly extending your legs and looking behind you. An android is down but not out. You jump forward and land beside Ruby, facing the enemy. Ruby, however, is killing herself laughing.

"You actually screamed! Oh my gosh!" She manages to say though it's hard to understand because of the constant laughter.

You cross your arms and pout.

"You can't just… shoot me…"

Ruby places a hand on your shoulder, desperately attempting to hold in her laughter.

"There… the-" She breaks down once again.

"It's not funny! Your bullets can be scary! I've seen them blow Grimm in half!"

During your conversation, the android gets to its feet and runs at you. Its metal feet smashing against the ground. You turn your head towards the android with a clear mind. It's not going to hit you no matter how hard it tried. However, Ruby swings her weapon around and catches the incoming halberd. She swings the scythe over her hand and pins it into the ground once more, jumping and firing so the handle spins her towards the android for a heavy kick with both feet. She follows through with her spin until the barrel is aiming at the stumbling android. She loads it with electric dust and fires, effectively stunning the robotic warrior. She frees her scythe from the ground and jumps towards the robot. Once close enough she curls up and activates her semblance, spinning like a wheel as her scythe repeatedly cuts down the android as if it was tissue paper. Once it's destroyed she lands and inevitably stumbles a bit.

"Oh, that makes me dizzy," she comments as she rubs her head. "But hey, we did it!" She cheers, happy as can be.

"Well, I mean you did it. I barely touched the thing."

Ruby smiles cheerfully as she returns to your side. Neither of you see or hear anymore androids so you assume the coast is clear.

"We better meet up with Dior and Dylan. Come on," you say, jogging towards the cave entrance.

Ruby follows suit and the two of you enter the cave. You can see the exit almost immediately which is a relief. You'd rather not have the worry of a diverging cave that could separate you and Ruby, or lead you down a different path than Dylan and Dior. In fact, walking through it you find that this is likely a man-made cave. There are wooden supports along both sides and electrical wires dangling above. One other thing that catches your eye are glowing blue rocks in the ceiling. An odd detail but one you can't help but notice.

You both reach the end of the tunnel and come across a locked gate. To the right is another path leading elsewhere, but paying attention to the environment makes you think that path will lead to the same location.

"Did they go around?" You rub your jawline. "Why not just break the gate? Or even jump over it?"

"Um… common courtesy?" Ruby perfunctorily answers, shrugging slightly.

"Hm, more polite than me, I suppose," you say before unleashing a single slash from your blade and sheathing it immediately.

The entire gate falls diagonally allowing easy access for both you and the young Huntress-in-Training.

"After you, oh beautiful one," you bow, one hand gesturing towards the broken gate.

"I… you're weird," Ruby blushes, unprepared for the sudden compliment.

"But not a liar," you smile.

Ruby nervously chuckles at your responses. Sure you are in a relationship, you've kissed, and you flirt with her at times, but that doesn't mean she's used to it yet. Perhaps it's situational. She can remember times where she feels so comfortable and so giddy that she initiates most of the kisses, yet other times she can be so shy about anything romantic. Yang always describes it as an age thing which makes Ruby mad. Just because she's young doesn't mean this is any less legitimate, or that she's taking it less serious than someone like Yang or Weiss. In fact, one of her many goals is to be able to put you in such a situation – flustered and speechless, but being who she is and being who you are… well, that scenario is unlikely. The only girl who gives you pause is Glynda… and Rogue… and Yang, and Weiss, and…

"Wait a second…" She taps her chin thinking on this.

"What?"

"Oh, oh nothing, hehe, nothing. Come on!"

Ruby hops over the broken gate and lands on the lower plain. You shake your head and cross your arms.

"Women. I'll never understand."

You casually follow Ruby's movements and land beside her. In front of you lies a giant makeshift wall that blocks access. It's immediately clear to you both that your allies didn't pass by or go through it, thus another path must be around somewhere. The path becomes clear when a Beowolf rolls down an incline and stops on its belly, disintegrating shortly after.

"Guessing they're that way," you say, strolling to the left.

Your pair heads to the left and up a minor incline leading to the radio tower. Dior is at the controls while Dylan guards the walkway. He sees you coming and lowers his guard.

"Those androids didn't give you trouble?"

"No more than the Grimm gave you," you scoff. "Dior! Got anything?"

Dior shakes his head while he types away on his keyboard.

"D-Disabling the network is e-e-easy. But there are more in the a-area."

"So there are more to take down," you sigh. "Alright, fine. Can you at least contact Oobleck to any extent?"

Dior closes his briefcase and faces you.

"Anything I-I receive is too distorted. Here."

Dior sends the feed into your scroll for you to listen.

"You must… and then… perhaps some tape."

Everything you hear is unintelligible or broken up. You shut your scroll down and slip it in your pocket.

"Got it. Let's find the rest of them."

"There was a door back there," Dylan points behind you. "That's probably our best bet."

"There was?" You look back, perplexed. "Huh, thought it was just a wall. Alright, we got a plan."

Back together, the four of you jog down the incline and reach the wall. Oddly enough the once closed door is now opened. You look back at Dior.

"You do that already?"

Dior shakes his head. You return your gaze to the door and shrug.

"Alright, definitely nothing suspicious about that."

"You're joking, right?" Dylan moans.

"Psh, no, when do I joke?" You hop through the door and spread your arms. "See, no proble-"

You're knocked away by an androids fist, slamming you into the far wall. It follows quickly, moving out of sight.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screams, grabbing her scythe and rushing through the door.

The three pass the door and look for wherever you landed. Instead of you in trouble, the three find you on the android, halbert stuck in its arm, delivering punch after punch to its mechanical head.

"I'm trying! To look! Cool! And you! Ruined it!" You say between punches.

The android disappears before you can destroy it. You mumble to yourself as you get back on your feet and walk towards the door. You spot your friends, worry across their faces, and assume your previous stance.

"See? Nothing to worry about." The three stare you down. "Okay, that maaaaay have been my fault," you huff.

"You think?" Dylan snarkily remarks.

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With little trouble, the four of you find the two remaining towers. There were half a dozen Grimm in the way but nothing your combined prowess couldn't handle. Dior approaches the final console while you make sure nothing sneaks up on him.

"So we'll be able to contact Oobleck after this?"

"I believe s-so."

Dior opens his briefcase and connects to the command console with little effort. In mere seconds he disables the relay and frees up the network.

"Done."

"Perfect," you take out your scroll and open it. "Now to…"

"Ahhh, that's better," a new voice speaks from your scroll, the ID completely blocked out. "Sorry, but the reception is always so bad all the way out here. I hope you're enjoying your stay on the island. You're the first visitors I've had in, well, hm… you are the first!"

The voice has a certain sophistication and pride in it. By the way he's speaking it's clear this isn't another Huntsman at Beacon. You look towards Dior for an answer but he has none.

"I-I can try and find his location."

"Do it. Let's not stick around here, though. We keep moving."

The four of you leap over the railing and land on the plain below. Ahead is a gate leading deeper into the island. You all walk that way, letting Dior work as his one hand dances across the keys.

"Well, you're not who I expected. Who are you?" You speak into the scroll, your eyes looking for any signs of an attack.

"Oh, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Dr. Merlot. You don't know me, but I most certainly know you four."

"It's him! Dr. Merlot!" Ruby exclaims. "He was behind all this."

"Seems like it. Well, Merlot, I'm sure you know we're Huntsmen and-"

"Not just students, of course. But you, young Slater… I know who you are. Well, your father and uncle, more specifically."

You stop in the middle of a small clearing. There are some crates and boulders along the sides with a path at the other end. Ruby and Dylan stop ahead of you, looking back when they hear Merlot's words. Both know that's a touchy subject for you, one being dead and the other nearly making you the same.

"Maybe it wasn't an accident that we ended up here," Dylan whispers.

"Does that mean he wants (Y/N)?" She asks the Faunus.

"I don't know."

You snicker, holding the scroll with a light grip.

"Well, you're not the first, pal. If you're trying to shake me you'll have to try a lot harder," you end with a smile.

"I see. Perhaps you're not as easily agitated as I thought. Shall we take a journey to see how long your smile will last?" Merlot responds, amused with himself. "We shall start with a little, hm… experiment. Four promising students like yourselves should provide excellent data." The various containers around the area unlock, allowing Grimm to pour out of them. "Now, why don't you show me that Slater spirit?"

"Dior, corner!" You shout, slipping your scroll into your pocket up keeping the connection active. "Keep searching for his signal! Don't bother fighting!"

Dior runs to the safest place and locks down. He lies his briefcase down and activates its combat mode. Small tendrils stick into the ground from the outer layer of the case. His nerves calm when he's assured nothing will get him. He stretches his fingers and gets back to work.

Meanwhile, you three are already combatting the Grimm released by Merlot. None of them are Mutated, thankfully, so this group of Grimm poses little threat to your group. Dylan runs from two Beowolves towards the rock face. They dash at him in the corner, but he runs up the wall and jumps off, landing behind them both. Before they can react he proceeds to throw punch after punch, condensed air tearing the Grimm apart. They splat against the wall like pancakes until they inevitably melt away. He dodges a claw just in time and leaps farther away for some distance.

"So we meet again, Dr. Merlot," Ozpin's voice speaks through your scroll.

"Ozpin?" Merlot answers in a semi-cheery tone. "Or shall I call you 'Oz' like old times, chum?"

Ruby slips past a Beowolf, catching it against her blade and firing to chop it in half. She immediately swings her scythe around to hit a rushing Boarbatusk, then slams the tip on a Creep, killing it instantly. With her weapon locked down, she fires at a few Grimm that are farther away.

"I thought you perished in the Mountain Glenn disaster, a tragedy you played no small part in."

"Twas a mere speed bump on the superhighway of scientific progress. You couldn't possibly imagine the ramifications of my latest research."

"The world was a much safer place without you, Merlot," he collectedly scolds.

You flip over a Boarbatusk, throwing your blade into its spine to effectively kill it. You land a meter from your blade, staring ahead as a Beowolf and three Creeps approach.

"You're calling me the reckless one?" He chuckles. "Sending your students out on an excursion like this?'

"They're more than a match for your mindless robots," Ozpin counters. "What you're doing here is wrong Merlot."

You ready yourself for a quick counter until another metallic fist buries into your jaw. You bounce across the sandy floor twice before grinding yourself to a halt. You rub your cheek and pout.

"Man, they really just wanna make me look bad… or maybe I'm actually bad. Huh, never thought of that," you say, your stare becoming blank at this revelation. The android rushes you and attacks with its halberd. You _**step**_ a few inches forward and catch the handle, smiling at the robot. "Nah."

You yank the halberd out of its grip, spin it around your back, and drive it through the android's stomach. _**Stepping**_ to your sword and back, you slice the head off, push it out of the way, and attack the remaining Grimm.

"Trying to make the world a better place is wrong? Say what you will about me. It won't change the fact that you're powerless to stop me."

"You'll botch this somehow. You always do."

"Well, let's agree to disagree," Merlot responds. "I tell you Oz, it has been truly a pleasure catching up, but unfortunately it's time for me to run. Farewell, old chum."

You finish off the last of the Grimm as Merlot finishes his sentence. Only you and Dior have kept an ear on what was being said, though Dior heard everything while you were distracted here and there by the fighting. You take your scroll out to speak with Ozpin.

"Charming fellow," you sarcastically comment.

"He's gotten no better," Ozpin bluntly states. "But you'll have to stop him. We've been attempting to locate Merlot's island but we've yet to obtain its coordinates, thus you'll have no reinforcements. I need you to continue exploring the island and contact me when you find any evidence of his whereabouts."

Ozpin disconnects the line so you can get to work. You put your scroll back in your pocket and look to Dior in his corner.

"You heard the man, Dior. You find anything?"

Dior sighs, closing his briefcase and standing up.

"I-I-I'm unable to lock o-on to him. I'm s-sorry."

"That means we'll have to search the island," Dylan says as he taps his leg. "We best start now. It'll be getting dark soon."

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Merlot walks away from his communications console and sighs with content. He was able to capture all of you and force you to his island with little difficulty at all. From what he's heard and studied, it wouldn't be hard to get you focused on capturing him, to begin with. He looks to another screen in his room where it's replaying the battle on the docks. You, alone, fighting off his Mutated Grimm and Androids with such fury and skill. If not for your rage blinding you it's possible you could have defeated that force, at least when considering the other battles Merlot has recorded.

He switches between fights, one moment being the one in the village, another showing the unwinnable fight between you, Harrier, Adam, and Neo. Such promise, just as Harrier said. Merlot looks to his prized possession on the wall.

"Quite the specimen, huh? I wonder if his properties will be as useful as yours," he finishes with a devious smile.

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Hours go by yet no clues come up. It's the same boring scenery of rocks, grass, and Grimm. The amount of times you've all split up and reconvened only to find nothing is agitating. This endless cycle has repeated while night creeps upon you.

"Ew," Ruby complains, holding her nose. "What's that awful smell?"

"I've been smelling it for some time now. It's why I suggested this path."

"Let's hope this leads to something and not… like, a Grimm dumping ground or something."

"I d-don't think tha-"

"Well if they have mating cycles why can't they have a place to poop!?" You counter, too proud of your response.

The entire team stops and stares at you with confusion.

"Slater… Grimm don't have mating cycles," Dylan corrects.

"Where did you hear that," Ruby giggles, eager for the answer.

"Ozpin! He said he knew more about…" You squint your eyes for a moment. "Goddamnit, that went right over my head."

"You actually thought the Grimm had mating cycles," Ruby bursts into laughter, holding her stomach.

"Well, Ozpin said it! I had no reason not to believe him!"

"W-Was he using it as a c-c-comparison?" Dior inquires.

You cross your hands, look away, and pout.

"…maybe."

"You're an idiot," Dylan shakes his head, walking ahead.

Ruby bursts into more laughter, completely forgetting the terrible smell polluting the air around you. Dior shakes his head, chuckling at your gullibility.

"You know what? I'm gonna ask Ozpin right now about it!" You shout, grabbing your scroll. "Ozpin!"

"(Y/N)? You're shouting! Did something happen?" He asks with concern.

"Grimm mating cycles!"

There's a short pause that heightens the suspense while you stare at his icon.

"What?"

"Grimm mating cycles! Explain it to them! Remember how you mentioned that you knew more about them then-"

"It was for comparison's sake, (Y/N). I wasn't being serious," Ozpin clarifies. "Did you actually believe there were Grimm mating cycles?" He asks with a slight chuckle.

"Grimm mating cycles? Who would believe that?" You hear Glynda's voice through the scroll.

"(Y/N)," Ozpin answers.

"Of course he would think that's a thing. Next he'll think they have a pre-determined place to defecate."

The sound of your palm hitting your head is audible through the scroll, as well as Ruby's ever-growing laughter.

"Even Ms. Goodwitch thinks you're an idiot," Dylan says, his amusement now bubbling.

Ruby's laughter rises to greater heights as she rolls around on the stone floor.

"Does he actually think they have one?" Glynda asks.

"Considering the responses I believe he does," Ozpin speaks.

"Why do I even speak to you people?" You throw your hands in the air. "Thanks for having my back, Ozpin!" You sarcastically shout before hanging up on him.

"I don't believe I ever said I would support your incorrect ideas, (Y/N)," he says through the scroll.

You stare at the scroll with disbelief.

"What the? I hung up on you!"

"I-I-I have Ozpin on the l-line. I patched him to a-all our scrolls."

You beat your head against the scroll in frustration.

"God. Damn. It." Ruby's laughter fills your ears as it becomes the most prominent thing in the area. "Ruby you're supposed to have my back too!"

Ruby tries her best to respond but the laughter is too powerful for her. He just keeps thinking on it and ends up falling deeper and deeper into its clutches. It becomes so contagious that Dylan and Dior start chuckling too.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm," you moan into your scroll.

"I request that you don't do that directly into the scroll," Ozpin says.

You frustratedly stare at the scroll, doing your best to keep yourself from yelling. Eventually you just sigh in defeat.

"They don't appreciate your unique way of thinking," Merlot speaks.

"I know rig- wait, no! Don't try speaking to me!" You shout into the scroll.

"Now team, do you have any news?" Ozpin speaks, seemingly ignoring Merlot's words to you.

Dylan stands atop an incline, focusing on what's ahead.

"Some sort of machinery, almost like an oil rig. I believe that's where the smell's coming from. It might even be a green substance I'm seeing."

"I believe we have found the reason Merlot is on this island. If he is harvesting the substance... well whatever he's using it for can't be good. Continue on your path, I believe your close. Just… try not to fall into their defecating grounds," Ozpin chuckles.

"I swear," you threaten. "Whatever, let's g- Ruby! Get off the floor," you say, jogging to her and kneeling down beside her laughing form.

She's calmed down, now just chuckling as she stares at the stars in the sky. You offer her a hand.

"Come on, can't laugh all night."

She grabs your hand and lets you pull her to her feet. The moment she's up she pulls on your hand even more and quickly pecks you on the cheek without anyone noticing. She doesn't explain it, she doesn't even say a word. She just continues to giggle as she walks away, leaving you confused and blushing.

The group approaches a pathway with large pipes on either side. One has a hole that's constantly releasing steam to block the way. Dylan looks back and spots a valve.

"Simple solution. Hey, Slater! Come on!" He shouts as he approaches the valve.

"Yeah… yeah, coming!"

You _**step**_ beside your friends and wait for Dylan to stop the steam. After one turn of the valve, the steam is stopped and passage is attained. In truth, you could have just _**stepped**_ to the other side with everyone, but what's done is done.

"Hey now. I wouldn't do that if I were you," Merlot's voice speaks through your scrolls.

"DO IT MORE!" Ruby cheers.

"Good. That definitely got his attention. I want you to follow the pipeline. With any luck, it will lead us right to Dr. Merlot," Ozpin instructs.

"Simple enough," you reply.

You all jog down the makeshift corridor and take a left. This exposes more of the refinery than just hallways of pipes. Walkways, stairs, everything one would expect.

 _Strange how there are no guards anymore. No Grimm, no Androids… Does Merlot want us to keep going?_

You reach another point where the path is blocked with steam. It's barely a nuisance since there are ways around it, but considering Merlot's response last time you decide to stop this one too. You look around the small area, eyes following the pipes on the left, then on the right. You spot the valve and quickly rush to it. With a strong turn, you stop the steam and agitate Merlot at the same time. You return to your friends, wiping your hands on each other.

"Alright, let's kick it up. Stay with me, we're going across the pipes!"

You bend your knees and launch yourself forward, landing on a pipe hugging the wall. Below is a giant pool of green goo that would you prefer not to fall into. Your friends follow close behind, Dior being in the back and the least enthusiastic about having to get around like this. Luckily he has a protocol in his briefcase that helps him with his agility. Without it, he'd be left behind.

"Oh Oz, your puny protégés have proven to be quite annoying."

"I can remember the other professors at Beacon saying the same about you, Merlot, though the word they chose was less than kind. Ever since you got it in your head that experimenting on Grimm was a good idea… your obsession has and will continue to be your downfall."

"The Grimm are a superior species, fascinating in their biology, their unbridled, raw aggression and lack of sentience makes them a perfect vessel!" Merlot argues his point.

You reach the end of the pipe and jump diagonally, going over the green pool, and land on another, smaller pipe. You immediately jump again towards a tower that stands proudly in the middle of the pool, then, the moment your feet touch the metal, you spring off and slide across a pathway on the right. You grind to a halt and turn around, waiting for your friends to join you. Dylan and Dior follow your movements exactly while Ruby takes some liberties with her semblance, simply turning into a spinning red cloak and crossing the entire lake at once.

"That line of thought illustrates exactly why you could never be trusted, Merlot," Ozpin responds with scorn.

Ahead of you is a cave with, to no surprise, steam blocking the way. This time Ruby does the honours of spinning the wheel and stopping the steam. You four follow a catwalk going over another pool of green goo that's being drained by a plethora of pipes. Your steps echo in the small cave as you follow the path straight and to the right. Though you haven't mentioned it to anyone else, the ringing is getting stronger and stronger the closer into the island you get.

"I-I-If Dr. Merlot is h-harvesting this substance, I b-b-believe this is what's making those G-Grimm," Dior comments, looking over the railing to the goo below.

"They are both green," Ruby adds.

"To think something like this could naturally exist. It makes those Grimm so strong," Dylan states.

You shake your head.

"Doesn't matter. We still kick butt anyway. But it's best if we stop this entire operation here. We don't need more dangerous Grimm wandering Remnant."

"Of course," Dylan nods. "I still wonder how Merlot found this substance. Was it by accident or did he know prior to coming here?"

"We'll ask when we find him," she says with confidence.

"T-That might be sooner than w-we thought," Dior says as you approach the end of the walkway.

Ahead is an open area much like what you've seen before – pipes and rocks. However at the other end is a large, open door that's definitely an entrance to Merlot's hideout.

"So it would seem," you smirk.

You jump ahead of everyone, flipping midair and landing valiantly in the middle of this fairly large area. Almost like they were waiting, a dozen Androids and a small hoard of Grimm come barreling out of the door. Once they're all out, the door closes. You roll your eyes as you grab Crimson Blaze.

"Guess I should have expected that."

You carefully mark all the noteworthy enemies in the group, but somebody has different plans. You hear a gunshot from behind, a Mutated Grimm fall and explode, killing a few other Grimm and a single Android.

"Haha," Ruby smugly chuckles, reloading her sniper. "I'll keep an eye out from here. You two go ahead," she tells the boys.

Dylan activates Zephyr Shale and charges into battle. Dior sits down and sets up his briefcase beside Ruby.

"I-I'll stay here."

You parry an Ursa's paw by cutting it off then cut the beast clean in half with a swift slash. Ruby fires at a leaping Beowolf, blowing its head clean off. You look back at the girl and nod. You _**step**_ behind an Android and cut it in half with a more powerful swing. Dylan joins the fray, landing at your back and pushing against you.

"No rest for the weary, huh?" You tease.

"Please, you love this."

"Heh, damn right!"

You and Dylan dash ahead, colliding with the foes in your path.

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Merlot watches with excitement as your group comes closer and closer. Androids and Grimm are disposable, but the research he's getting and will get from this is well worth the sacrifices. Just a little further… all you have to do is make it a little further.

 **Yep, it's been a while since my last update. I did tell you it would be a while, but to be fair I'm updating nearly a month after I intended to. But what can you do? My other story is done and now Crimson Shadow is my only story! I'll be starting up one or two new ones in October and November, but until then you can expect a ton of Crimson Shadow!**

 **As for this mini-arc, there are only two more chapters. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do next. I have a more fluffy chapter planned, so I'm not sure if I'm just gonna do one slice of life chapter then go to Volume 3, or have maybe two or three calm chapters. We'll see. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! It's good to be back, and just in time for Volume 5! That's coming soon and I'm super stoked!**

 **This isn't really a fact, but that whole Grimm mating cycles and "Pooping grounds" skit went on longer than I intended. I just kinda got caught up in the conversation and thought it was too amusing to remove. Even adding Merlot in there made me laugh, though I only did that cause he was shown to be listening the whole time during the actual game. Thought it was worth throwing a line his way. It was a dumb skit, but I liked it. I mean, if I didn't I would have deleted it.**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **If you REALLY like me you could consider supporting me on . Of course you get bonuses and everything. Of course it's optional but it helps. Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: GrayJack72, Ride The Lightning, Manuel Garcia**


	29. Chapter 29: Merlot's Twisted Game

**Chapter 29: Merlot's Twisted Game**

You cut down the last Grimm in your sector. Dylan and Ruby are finishing an Android on the other side of the small area you've made into an arena. You sheath your blade and let it fall to your side as you approach your friends. Dior packs his briefcase up and descends from the ledge to the ground floor. Soon enough your group is back together, no worse for wear.

"Looks like Merlot's getting more serious about his security," Dylan comments.

"Mean's he's scared of us. I mean, who wouldn't be scared of yours truly," you proudly say, patting your chest.

"I'm not scared of you."

"You're more of a goof."

"N-Not really scary."

You slouch your shoulders and huff.

"Thanks, guys…" You turn away and walk towards the entrance to Merlot's hideout. "Well, we shouldn't keep Merlot waiting. I'm sure he'll be happy to see us."

"Oh, I am. Powerful, persistent pupils like yourself will make perfect test subjects," Merlot states with pride.

"Ignore him, team. Infiltrate Merlot's hideout and see what you can find," Ozpin instructs.

"Infiltrate? That's such a harsh term, chum. Your students can come in. I wouldn't want them to get the wrong impression of me."

"Think it's too late for that," Ruby says, scratching her nose.

The large metal doors slowly slide open to allow access for your little group. There appears to be a large room with a small door at the other end. Clearly, the first room is to store and deploy Grimm and Androids in case of emergency. An instance would be four Huntsmen-in-Training attempting to breach the facility.

"Well, might as well take up his gracious offer," you say, sliding your foot forward dramatically to start your walking cycle.

"Just be careful, students. We don't what he's planning."

"I know what I'm planning," you roll your shoulder. "A good ol' fashion butt kicking."

You enter through the first door and casually approach the second. It opens itself for your group to reveal the first corridor of the building. The floors and walls are all a dark grey, though you didn't expect bright and vibrant colours for a facility as hidden as this. The walls are blank, but the floors have octagonal tiles making up your walking space. A few loom above the doorway you just passed and the one ahead. The only other noteworthy things in this place are a few boxes lined along the sides and a control panel just before the next door.

"Dior, do you want to-"

The console lights up and allows access deeper into the facility.

"Greetings, and welcome to Merlot Industries, where we're building a better tomorrow… today!" He says as if he's pitching a product.

"This just keeps getting weirder," Ruby shivers, examining her surroundings. "This place just gives me the creeps."

"G-G-Goosebumps?" Dior asks, to which Ruby nods. "Me t-too."

You enter the next room and come across half a dozen Androids. You all unsheathe your weapons for a fight, but the robots don't flinch at your presence. They stand at attention, guarding the facility and leading you towards the elevator to the left.

"Please, make yourself at home. I want my guests to feel welcome, so, in good faith, I've registered you as friendlies. Please don't give me reason to revoke that status," Merlot warns with a friendly tone.

"What do you think?" Dylan whispers to you.

"Well… might as well save our strength for now," you respond, sheathing your blade.

"I'm surprised you're choosing not to fight," Dylan remarks, deactivating Zephyr Shale.

"Well… it's more for you three," you say with a toothy grin, then lead the way to the elevator.

The three exchange glances, shrug, then follow you into the elevator. Once everyone's in you click the button and let the elevator bring you down.

"Here at Merlot Industries, we take pride in innovation. Together, with your help… and a little of your special spark, we will build a better tomorrow!"

"For you, Merlot, there won't be any tomorrow to 'restore,'" Ozpin interjects.

The elevator doors open and reveal a massive room that differs from before. Though the walls remain the same, there are pipes hovering a fair height above the ground that connects to tanks filled with the same green goo you saw outside. The terrain is more natural, being an uneven rock floor, and to top it all off, there's a small hoard of Mutated Grimm prowling the area. They look to you as you step out of the elevator and into their domain, but another surprise arises when they decide to gather around the tanks rather than attack you.

One thing you notice right away is the ringing in your ears is much stronger here than its ever been before. You casually rub your temples.

 _Is it the goo? No, I was around plenty of it outside. Something's causing this ringing… but what._

"Here before you are the stage two processing tanks!" Merlot exclaims.

"The tanks of goo are attracting the mutants!" Ruby points out.

"It might be b-best to destroy the t-t-tanks," Dior advises.

"Now, now, let's not be too hasty," Merlot pleads, but by the time his words reach your scrolls Dylan has already unleashed a pressurized wave of air and shattered one of the tanks. The Mutated Grimm all pounce on the exposed goo, drinking it up as fast as they can. "Well, I did try."

The ringing becomes even louder after the words leave his lips and the Grimm attack.

Could it be..?

"Slater, don't space out!" Dylan shouts as he dodges a Creep then fires his air to redirect a charging Boarbatusk into a steel beam. "Ruby, shoot the tanks!"

Ruby slams her scythe into the ground and aims for the tanks. Dylan has already destroyed two, leaving three for the hooded Huntress-in-Training to destroy. Dior remains behind Ruby, not bothering to activate his briefcase as you three can take care of the small force easily. Dylan has already killed four out of the fifteen Mutated Grimm, after all.

You backflip over a Mutated Beowolf and pierce its back with your blade before slicing up and killing it. You hear an incoming Creep from behind and spin around, sword in hand, and execute a horizontal slice that starts at the open Grimm's mouth and ends at its tail. A clean cut. Another Creep rushes you from the front, which you front flip over, throwing your sword into its spine, then _**step**_ directly above your sword and land on it, impaling the Grimm further and effectively turning it to dust. You spread your feet for just a moment, allowing yourself to fall ever so slightly, then clamp each side of the hilt with one foot before flipping backward and throwing the blade straight into a Beowolf's stomach. Dylan slips around the Beowolf, grabs your blade with one hand and slices the Beowolf's stomach open. He throws the blade back to you, then turns back to the Beowolf and punches with a surge of air, tearing the Beowolf in two, sending its upper body flying whilst its legs crumble to the floor.

The final tanks shatters to pieces, the goo spilling all over the floor. Ruby reloads Crescent Rose, having used her clip for the tank, then turns her sights to the Grimm you and Dylan are combatting, pulling off some clean headshots.

"So, are you often in the back?" Ruby asks, firing another round.

"I-I-I prefer to stay out of conflict," Dior admits. "But I have m-my uses. I j-just know (Y/N) is okay."

"How do you know?" She raises her brow at him.

"We've b-b-been through a lot. You know, r-r-right? When you feel safe with s-s-someone? He is your boyf-friend."

Ruby fires off another shot without scoping it out, yet it still hits an Ursa in the leg, giving you a momentary advantage.

"I suppose so," she smiles to herself. "But I never thought I'd have a boyfriend."

"I n-never thought there would b-b-be someone who doesn't make me s-s-s-stutter."

"Ring around the rosy! Pockets full of ashes of Grimm I killed because you're all so easy!" You sing, cutting apart a Grimm.

"That doesn't even flow!"

"Shut up, Dylan! You make a better rhyme!"

"Thee who deprives will not survive for fate is dim for these poor Grimm," he recites, dodging a few attacks.

"Damnit! That actually was good!" You frustratedly shout.

Ruby shakes her head in disappointment while Dior merely chuckles.

"He's an in-in-interesting one, for sure."

"That's one way to put it. He kinda reminds me of my uncle, in a way. Huh…"

"These trolls who feast on souls shall be slayed by… marmalade?"

"You're not even trying!" Dylan says with amusement, capturing the last Grimm in a large ball then slamming him into a wall. "A poet nor singer be Slater."

"But to the jokes, I cater!" You proudly respond, pointing at your Faunus friend.

Dylan rolls his eyes.

"Fine, I'll give you that."

"Haha! Nailed it! Speaking of nailing it," you look around the room. "Looks like we made a nice mess."

"The tanks are destroyed and the Grimm dead."

A sigh is heard through your scrolls, one coming from Dr. Merlot.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't break all my things, but alas, my Androids will rebuild it in no time. This way, please."

"One second, Merlot, I got a question for you," you say, looking to the monitors that show a picture of his face.

He's an elderly white man with gray hair resembling Ozpin's, though Merlot has a mustache and beard as well. One thing that stands out is his glowing red left eye. He scratches his beard with his right hand, showing off his black and red robotic limb.

"An inquiry from you? Please, I'd love to hear it," he speaks with excitement.

"You have a signal controlling the Grimm, don't you? Something similar to what the White Fang has. Did you make it for them?"

Dior and Ruby are caught off guard by this question, while Dylan is only curious. He knew about the device that controlled Grimm, but he never knew he manufactured it.

"My, my, what makes you think that?"

"I can hear it."

"What?" Merlot exclaims with genuine surprise.

"Wait, really?" Ruby places her hand on your arm.

"Ever since we got here… remember I said I could hear ringing? I didn't know what it was but… I can hear it. I think it happened when I was trapped in the maze with that Grimm. The signal was ongoing the whole time and I guess I tuned into it," you hypothesize, then look up at Merlot and smile. "You made it. You have it stronger here to stop the Grimm from breaking your tanks. That's why it was so loud and even louder when you wanted them to attack."

Merlot adopts a proud smile when you finish your explanation.

"You know, I was told you weren't the smartest. More of a brawn over brains lad. But… I believe you don't get enough credit, (Y/N) Slater. I'll be sure not to underestimate your intelligence in the future. Now, this way, please," Merlot says as a door across the room opens and his face disappears from the screen.

You snicker at his response and roll your shoulders.

"Well, let's go."

"Wait," Dylan steps in front of you. "You expect us to ignore the fact you might be under Merlot's influence?"

"What are you talking about?" You ask with a lighthearted expression.

"You hear the same signal that controls the Grimm. What if Merlot can control you too?"

"I… I don't think that'll happen," Ruby defends you. "He hasn't acted differently this whole time, which means the signal isn't affecting him, right? I know he wouldn't let himself be controlled!" She declares with complete confidence.

Suddenly two hands grab Ruby's sides and start grazing her.

"Oh no… I can't stop… tickling…" You sarcastically remark.

"No! No, stop!" She squeals, laughter erupting from the young woman.

"I can't… Merlot… is true evil!" You shout, pulling Ruby closer so you can cover more space to tickle Ruby.

Dylan sighs, his resolve crumbling.

"I suppose… I'll trust in you, Slater."

You look up at him, ignoring the almost crying Ruby.

"I'd hope so. You are my partner, after all." You release Ruby and let her fall to the floor, giggling. "Anyway, let's go. I'm sure Merlot's antsy to get his butt kicked. I don't want to keep him waiting."

You walk ahead of your friends while Ruby slowly gets to her feet.

"You're mean!" She shouts, still a little sensitive and giggly. "I'll get you back!"

"I'm looking forward to it!" You shout over your shoulder. "Now come on, guys. If you leave me alone I really will get mind controlled," you chuckle, giving them a casual wave.

The four jog up to your position, Ruby coming beside you and giving you an adorable pout of frustration.

"You… are just the cutest thing in the world," you say with a higher pitched voice, rustling her hair.

"You always do that!" She scolds.

"Cause your reaction is the same every time and I love it."

You all reach the elevator whilst you and Ruby chat. Dior presses the button to start up the machine, and once again you're only brought down one floor. The elevator stops in front of another hallway which, clearly, Merlot wants you to traverse. It takes no time at all to walk down the hallway and enter a new room that nearly resembles all others. The only difference is the computer system on the right.

"Here we have the Engineering wing, the so-called 'brains' of the operation, if you're not counting my own intellect," he chuckles. "Don't be timid, there aren't any traps in here…"

"This seems like a terrible thing to let us access," you remark, cupping your hands behind your head and relaxing.

"Professor Ozpin, we found some computers," Dylan reports.

"Excellent find, team. Do you see any terminals that you can access?"

Three of you look back at Dior, the tech expert of your group. Dior is already studying the hardware from afar, then shakes his head as a response.

"It would b-be best to f-f-find the main hub. It should be nearby."

"Then that's our destination!"

You run forward, traversing the hallway in little time. Once you exit, you take a left which brings you to the edge of the room, make clear by a railed, which overlooks a collection of computers. You hop over a railing and land on a lower level filled with the same hardware as before. Dior, Ruby, and Dylan catch up in no time and are surprisingly shocked.

"Wow… I thought this would be harder," Ruby remarks.

"Honestly, so did I. How convenient. Any terminals here you can access, Dior?"

Dior walks ahead of you all and scans the line of computers. He stops at one, examining it closer than the others. Immediately he opens his briefcase and starts typing away.

"I-I've made the connection. T-T-Transfering data to you, Professor."

"Wait, did you just… oh no… how could I be so stupid?" Merlot scolds himself.

"You did it! Now, can you proxy the signal over to me?" Ozpin speaks.

"D-Doing it now."

The ringing in your ears grows louder, giving you a slight heads-up that danger is approaching.

"Prepare to meet your doom, students!"

"Everyone cover Dior so he can complete the upload!" You order as you attract your sheath to your hand.

"Quite a lot of battle on this mission, huh?" Dylan remarks.

"I'm not complaining," Ruby responds as she loads a clip into her rifle.

The sound of roaring Grimm echoes through the hallways from whence you came. No doubt they'll be pouring over the railing like a black, white, and red waterfall. Something catches your ear from behind you. Without looking you _**step**_ a few feet back and block an Android's glaive. You're standing just behind Dior, casually holding back the attack. You spot a few more Androids materializing near the back of the room, and of course, the Grimm leap over the railing and attack your friends.

"You good over there?"

"We'll handle it," Dylan shouts back.

You push the glaive to the side and quickly bring down your sword and cut the Android's arm clean off. Wires spark from both the dismembered arm and the place that once held it. With no defenses left you quickly snap your arm to the right and behead the Android, causing it to crumble beside you. Three more approach you, two with glaives of their own and one with a minigun.

On the other side of the room, Ruby and Dylan are keeping the Grimm pinned against the wall with a barrage of gunfire and pressurized air.

"Ruby, lets not dally here!" Dylan shouts as he rests his arms.

Ruby keeps firing to give Dylan some time, but without him putting on the pressure they'll eventually reach the two. Dylan focuses just enough to formulate water from the air around them. He washes up the Grimm, trapping them in a small tornado of water.

"Cut them down!" He shouts, holding his hands forward to keep his creation functioning.

Ruby flips her rifle around and activates its scythe mode. With her semblance active, she follows the stream of water, cutting down Grimm after Grimm at a breakneck speed. Dylan can feel how many Grimm are caught in the water, and how quickly that number is dwindling. Once all he can feel is Ruby, he stops the spinning water and allows it to vapourize. Ruby grinds to a halt, stopping just behind Dylan. All that's left is water and Grimm vapour. With their side cleared, they look back and check how you're doing.

Two Androids are already disabled on the floor, and you're currently falling down on one of them. You pierce its skull with your blade, holding yourself up with one arm much like the training you did with Ms. Goodwitch. The gunner fires his grenades at you, but you _**step**_ out of the way so he only destroys his partner. You appear behind him, sword in a reversed grip, and stab through the "neck" of the Android. You push down on your hilt and pop the head off the Android as if it was a dandelion. You spin your sword around you a few times then sheathe it. You look towards your allies and smile, signaling you're all good.

"Dior, how's it coming along?"

"I'm d-d-done."

"Indeed, thank you, Dior," Ozpin speaks. "Let me see… yes, I have everything I need. Team, I want you to head to the lower levels… to the Manufacturing wing."

"I'll be waiting," Merlot chimes in with a dark tone.

"Good. Wouldn't want you to go anywhere," you remark, slipping your left hand in your pocket. "The lower levels… good thing there's a shaft right here," you point out, walking towards the opposite end of the room.

Just beside all the computers, there's a large tunnel with no platforms to walk across, instead, there are a plethora of pipes going all directions. You hop onto the edge and look down, spotting a walkway some distance below.

"Looks like we're going down."

Dylan looks to Ruby and Dior as he summons some water beneath them.

"Whoa!" Ruby yelps when she's lifted into the air and brought to Dylan.

"Are you getting on, or…" Dylan offers to you, but you shake your head.

"No way, I'll jump."

"Of course," Dylan rolls his eyes. "We'll meet you down there," he says as his water platform flies past you and descends casually.

You leap off the edge, arms out wide, and then spin forward and dive down. You pass the hovering water as you get closer and closer to the ground. Suddenly you feel something tug on your foot, stopping you completely and holding you midair. Your jacket and shirt follow gravity which blocks your view. You try to push your clothes up but gravity wins your battle.

"How in the…"

You soon hear laughing from above, so push the front of your shirt down and look up. First, you see what's the issue – your foot has been enveloped in a ball of water. The laughter, however, is coming from Ruby.

"H-Hey! Dylan, let me go!" You shout, fumbling around in the air.

"I have to make sure we all arrive together. It's a safety measure," he cheekily responds, completely content with his course of action.

Your body and their platform become in sync as Dylan slowly brings you down the walkway below. You have your arms crossed, completely unamused at your situation. Frankly, you're the only one who's unamused. The trio gracefully lands on the ground. You, however, are unexpectedly dropped on your head.

"Hey!" You moan, pushing off the ground and looking fiercely at Dylan.

Dylan cheekily shrugs.

"Oops, lost my concentration."

You squint at him which forces a smirk.

"Lead the way, fearless leader."

You jump to your feet and brush off dust your jacket has collected from being on the floor.

"I swear, I'll-"

"Good news, team," Ozpin cuts it. "The coordinates of Merlot's secret lab were contained within the data retrieved from the terminal. An airship has been deployed and will rendezvous with you shortly."

You growl at Dylan, pointing at him.

"You're lucky."

"That's debatable," he shrugs. "I am partnered with you, after all."

"I am partnered with you, after all," you mock before passing by Dylan.

You all march along the catwalk. It's at least a small change of pace since the hallways are tubular rather than rectangular. To your surprise, there are no Androids or Grimm attempting to stop you. After Merlot freaked out you'd think he's determined to kill you and not let you waltz around his facility.

"So what're we looking for?" You inquire.

"There should be a power facility up ahead. Get there and destroy anything vital to Merlot's Operation. Keep going and take a left."

"Got it."

You hit the end of the hallway and meet up with three doors. There's only one open, however, which is conveniently the one Ozpin directed you to. So you take a left and follow the short path. It leads you to a relatively small room with a few Androids near the opposite door and glowing blue nodes.

"Those look pretty important," you point to the nodes.

"Destroy everything!" Ruby cheers, taking out her weapon and jumping farther into the room.

You blink twice in bewilderment at your girlfriend's sudden eagerness. Dylan joins the fray immediately when he sees the Androids start attacking Ruby.

"You're not authorized to be here!" Merlot shouts with worry.

"Are those safe to just… attack?" You lean close to Dior.

Lucky for you, Dior was already looking into their potential danger. After a moment he shakes his head.

"They're safe. Quite interesting, in truth. They're the primary power nodes for this half of the facility," Dior responds with a clear voice.

"Perfect. Guess I don't have to save my gung-ho girlfriend," you remark before _**stepping**_ into the battle and kicking the Android's head.

Ruby sweeps around and cuts the mechanical soldier in half, finishing it off. Seeing you assisting Ruby, Dylan turns his attention to the power nodes. Luckily he already has lightning Dust inside Zephyr Shale, else it would have been destroyed when you teleported him. He collects water from the air and splashes it over each of the nodes. He cocks his weapons and throws a punch at the first node. His lightning filled air connects with the node and fries the node. Its brilliant blue shine dims until there's nothing left. He then turns around and throws three punches at the ones across the room, then jabs to the side and finishes the last one.

"Simple enough."

The final Android falls to Ruby's feet as she puts away her weapon.

"Hehe, get destroyed," she laughs to herself.

"You did it! That will deliver a shock to Merlot's system," Ozpin praises.

"Fine then. If that's how you want to play…"

You gather round once again and prepare for the next obstacle.

"Team, there seems to be a signature coming from the base. You need to investigate it, however… according to my map of the lab, there's a room rather close that contains more processing equipment for his serum. You need to take it out. All of it."

You scratch your neck as you come up with a plan.

"Okay, Ruby, Dylan, you find that serum. Dior and I will look for whatever oddity Ozpin's picking up. We'll regroup afterward."

"I… right! Come on, Dylan! Let's go break more stuff!" Ruby cheers.

"Sure. Be careful, you two," he says, eyes glancing between you and Dior.

"I always am, Dylan. Take care of Ruby for me."

"I'll try."

Ruby and Dylan run through the door and into another hallway. You and Dior remain stationary for instructions.

"Oh, Oz, I believe this is what you're referring to," Merlot proudly says, showing the camera feed of a wide open room with natural flooring.

"Can you get there?" Dior questions.

"I saw it, so… grab my shoulder."

Dior follows your command as you close your eyes and expand your mind. You seemingly fly through the facility as you search for this room. Oddly enough it's closer than you thought. The moment you lock-on you _**leap**_ to the room.

Four monitors hung at the four corners of the room. There's a catwalk above and a door on the east side, but it's closed.

"Welcome to the testing grounds, students. You know, I've had my eye on you for some time, (Y/N) Slater." The monitors light up with recordings of a fight you participated in. One where the Grimm were fighting Atlas military… one where you dive-bombed from the sky and fought a Goliath. "You handled yourself well… but also interrupted my research. I was testing my new prototypes effects on powerful Grimm like Goliath."

"So it wasn't a random attack," you gather. "You were testing that mind control device. I was wondering why a Goliath was violent."

"Yes, and now, well, I have a new specimen to show you. It's one of my five creations."

The ground begins shaking as if an earthquake ensued. You and Dior get low, one hand on the ground and eyes out for whatever Merlot is planning.

"Don't be shy, don't be scared. You can learn a lot from this one. Things you would never learn about at Beacon."

In a split second the earth your standing on falls apart. Time almost seems to slow down as you gaze towards the crumbling earth. A being of black, white, and green breaks free from the ground, pincers ready. You instinctively grab Dior and _**step**_ to the other side of the room, avoiding a possibly fatal blow. You look back to your previous location… and your jaw drops. A Deathstalker, one three times as large as any you've seen before, stands before you. It's pincers and body are layered with green spikes, along with its once red eyes now burning with green envy. Its stinger has also adopted a new colour, but it's shining brighter than any other part of its body.

"Nature couldn't make a beast this deadly… so I did," Merlot hisses.

"Dior, corner!" You shout as the Mutated Deathstalker charges your position.

Dior sprints away while you stand your ground, drawing Crimson Blaze and preparing for battle. You kneel down and hold your blade horizontally as the Grimm charges at you, colliding with your blade and pushing you back a few feet. Your muscles shake as you hold back the might of both pincers pushing profusely against you, but this is a mere distraction. Its slippery stinger strikes you, slamming you face first into the ground.

"You're easy prey! Is that all you've got?" Merlot laughs as he watches the battle.

You can feel the pincers rising only to crush you, so you quickly push off the ground towards the Mutated Deathstalker. You run across its hide, slashing away at it, then jump towards the stinger and slice it. Unfortunate for you, your attacks did absolutely nothing to the Deathstalker. You _**step**_ a short distance away, holding your blade tightly.

Dior is in the corner with his briefcase spread along the ground. He's noting the battle you're having as he readies himself.

"I'm not letting you fight this on your own. I'm not so useless," Dior whispers to himself as you struggle with the Deathstalker.

You leap into the air, dodging his left pincer, and bring your blade onto the Grimm's hide. Its skeleton armour prevents any piercing, leaving you vulnerable to its right pincer circling around to attack you. It smacks you off, but you use that momentum to _**step**_ onto the other side cut its side. This does nothing, so it retaliates by slamming its pincers down to create a shockwave that pushes you back. You slide across the ground, holding your left hand in front of your face to protect it from any dust and rocks. However, the Deathstalker leaps forwards and collides its face with your body. You slam into the far wall, but you're not deterred. You chuckle, wiping off your jacket.

"Not your average Grimm, huh… That's fine. I've killed special Grimm before!"

You and the Deathstalker rush at the other, meeting a third of the way through the room. The Deathstalker tries to catch you with his pincer, but you slide under him, slicing his belly to test is that's a weak point. You get a few decent cuts in, actually piercing the Deathstalker's hide. You pass under him and flip onto your feet.

The Deathstalker spins around and locks on to you. With a thunderous roar, it flicks it stinger towards, releasing venom that soars through the sky. Not having the chance to turn around, you hop to the left, diagonally back, then straight back to dodge all the venom sent after you.

"Nope, nope, stop, please!" You shout as you scramble.

"(Y/N), I'm ready!" Dior timidly shouts.

His briefcase is dug into the ground, laid out like a technological mat. Each piece has over a dozen different transformations for Dior to use. Though bogged down to one location, he's protected by an automated defensive system he designed to bypass this weakness. Of course, his briefcase can transform without being set up, but this is the best way for him to help you at the moment. You're more of an up close and personal combatant anyway, thus Dior has little risk in hunkering down. Fortunately, the ground is soil and not metal, so he can use his surprise attacks. There's little his briefcase can't become making Dior one of the most flexible combatants you know.

You backflip to avoid the last venom shot then _**step**_ right in front of the Grimm, bypassing its pincer defense. You quickly slash left and right, cutting the inner layer of its arms, then jump forward, spin, and wound its stinger. You _**step**_ to a safe distance and watch its reaction.

 _Grimm usually react in some way to pain, but this one… is it because of the mutations? It's clear he's on a whole other level than the others. Plus he's faster than any Deathstalker I've seen which… great…_

You slouch your shoulders as you internally monologue.

"There's gotta be a weak point," you whisper. "Maybe the joints? There's no way it could swing its arms around if its joints were obstructed… Dior! The pincers joints! Lets cut them off from the base!"

"Got it."

Dior grabs the left square and holds it beside him. The square meticulously changes into a windmill shuriken. It spins in his hand as its edges begin to heat up for increased cutting power. He quickly types in a few commands into the central console for its automated targeting. He won't miss as long as the plan goes well.

"You'll need to get me an opening!" Dior informs you.

You strafe to the right, dodging a pincer.

"I can do that!"

The stinger slams onto the ground, barely missing your foot as you dodge. Lucky for you, the stinger sticks into the ground. Without a second thought, you pull back your sword and swing as hard as you can, cutting its stinger right off.

"Haha! Losing your venomous touch, huh?"

The Deathstalker roars at the loss of its stinger. With this advantage, you press your attack even further. You sprint around the dismembered part towards the beast itself.

"I'm ready!"

"Got it!"

The Deathstalker swings its pincers at you. You slide under the first then block the second. You hold it until you hear Dior throw his shuriken. Pushing hard against the pincer, you throw it to the left, then _**step**_ beside it midair and continuously kick it farther and farther. This pushes the pincer out and exposes the joint. The Deathstalker attempts to smack you with his other pincer, but a sudden mechanical tendril bursts from the ground and holds the limb in place. A surprise function of Calamity that's saved he and his allies multiple times.

The shuriken swings around and seamlessly dismembers the pincer. At the same time, you notice the restrained one behind you. With your last kick, you spring off it and shoot towards the pincer, mimicking Dior's achievement. With all its offensive capabilities gone, all that's left is to finish it off.

"Dior, let's get it on its back!"

Only a second later three tendrils spike from the ground, crashing against the beasts face and lifting it higher into the air. You _**step**_ across the room and burst off the wall, sword aimed right for the belly of the beast. You pierce through its stomach, the momentum knocking it on its back. Tightly holding your blade, you turn around and run back, dragging the sword through its stomach before jumping off. You sheathe your blade, not bothering to look back at your opponent.

"Looks like we still do well together," you smile at Dior.

He nods, sitting down in his protective area.

"Quite interesting," Merlot comments, his face appearing on the monitors. "But it'll take more than that to beat one of my champions!"

You turn to face the defeated beast. It pushes itself onto its feet once more, but that's the least surprising thing. The wound on his stomach, his lost limbs, they all start to regrow. Your mind flashes back to Harrier when he regrew limbs like they were nothing.

"Tsk…" You grind your teeth. "No way… it can't be the same thing."

"Such marvelous DNA I have collected," Merlot preaches. "You don't know how interesting it was creating Grimm like this. Well, I had help. Perhaps you recognize one of my donors?" He says, turning the camera to show a man attached to the wall by his arms and legs.

Your eyes nearly burst open, your jaw drops, your heart skips a beat. That face… the hair… You can see those features standing in front of you… that body pierced by a Beowolf as he smiles.

"D-Dad…" You clench your fists so tight that, if it weren't for your aura, you'd draw blood. "You bastard… you defile his corpse…" You say under your breath.

"It was a simple exchange! I give them a device that controls Grimm, they provide me with the DNA of both Jet and Harrier Slater. Now the epitome of evolution is complete! My five greatest creations… and you, (Y/N) Slater, will die to this one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dylan and Ruby finish off the last of the canisters and Android protectors. It was little trouble for the duo and… to their surprise, there was almost no reinforcements or taunting from Merlot.

"Team, I lost contact with (Y/N) and Dior. I'm sending you their last known coordinates. Hurry!"

"What has Slater done this time," Dylan rolls his eyes as he starts sprinting to the nearest door with Ruby close behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You glide your hand across the wall as you run along it, venomous blasts mere inches behind. You reach the corner, jumping to the adjacent wall then springing towards the Grimm. It swipes at you, but you manage to roll right over the pincer and land on its hide. The stinger swings around, forcing you to fall onto your back to avoid it, then you hear a rumbling below. You _**step**_ off its back milliseconds before green crystals erupt from it. You appear a few meters away, briefly sliding across the ground before _**stepping**_ behind the beast and dashing forward. The beast surprises you with its speed, quickly turning around and slapping you away before you can react. You tumble across the ground while the Deathstalker creeps its way towards your vulnerable body.

Dior grabs a small box which, upon contact, expands into a four-barrel rocket launcher. Each barrel releases three rockets that barrage the hulking Grimm. This turns its attention to the stationary fighter. It flicks its stinger, releasing waves of lethal venom at the young Huntsman-in-Training. Dior's laid out briefcase reacts to the incoming threat by covering Dior's entire area. It resonates a pulse that pushes back the venom before it can even come in contact with his shield. The shield morphs once more, coming together right in front of Dior to create a canon. He grabs the handles and clicks both buttons, charging a blast of condensed Dust, creating a plasma ball that fires out as a beam. It cuts through the right side of the Deathstalker and even comes for you.

"Whoa!" You shout, pushing off your hands and springing towards the other side of the room.

The Deathstalker falls on its right side, struggling to move.

"Holy crap, Dior! I've never seen that!"

Dior timidly smiles at you.

"I'm always upgrading Calamity."

Unfortunately, the Deathstalker regenerates all the damage Dior dealt. The second his legs can move once again it bursts towards the golden boy. Dior's mechanical tentacles burst from the ground and wrap around the Grimm in attempt to slow it down. It doesn't. The Grimm pushes past the tendrils, stretching them beyond their capacity and breaking them in two. Dior used this time to activate a mounted turret. The bullets bounce off the Deathstalkers armour, barely acting as a nuisance for the enormous Grimm. Closing in on its prey, the Deathstalker leaps off its eight legs, threatening to crush the young man where he sits.

Before it can sink its teeth into the man, you _**step**_ in the way, holding your blade vertically and pushing against it to hold back the Grimm. Your feet drag through the gravel below, unable to match the sheer force of the Mutated Deathstalker. You can feel its tainted breath blow against your body as you do your best to hold it back. Thankfully you manage to redirect it, leaving Dior in the clear, but you're being pushed towards the wall with no way out. You're in direct contact with the Deathstalker so anywhere you _**step**_ he would come with you. Besides that, using Shadow Transmission on something that large would drain your aura immensely.

You push your body past its limit to fight back against the Grimm, but it's futile. You're close to the wall, and when you get there it'll squish you.

"(Y/N)!" Dior shouts, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind to think of a way to help.

A sudden gust of wind blows against the hulking Grimm, pushing it away from you and slamming it against the far wall. You fall to your knee, taking a breath.

"I believe I mimicked your timing," Dylan says with a smirk, disconnecting Zephyr Shale.

Ruby speeds past him, landing beside you.

"Are you okay?"

You nod, gulping.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But…"

You both look to the Deathstalker as it recovers and lets out an ear-piercing roar.

"A Mutated Deathstalker… wow."

"You say wow now, but… fight it," you snicker.

Dylan hops down into the testing grounds and groups with you and Ruby.

"Any tips?"

"None. It can regenerate itself. I have no idea how to put it down for good."

"What?" Dylan says in disbelief.

"Yeah, we've cut it to pieces and even turned half of it to dust, but it comes back."

"How?" Ruby questions.

"It has Slater genes in it – my dad and uncle. Merlot… he has my dad's body."Ruby and Dylan remain silent at this news. Neither knows how to respond. You push off your knee and roll your shoulders. "But with four of us, we should manage to beat it, somehow."

Ruby smiles and nods before speeding away with her semblance. Dylan runs off as well, making sure to aid the young woman.

"Dior, keep firing at it with the turret. No point in using the big guns when we can't kill it."

"G-G-Got it!" He shouts back.

Dior sets up his turret once more and fires upon the monstrosity. It turns around to face the barrage of bullets but you grab its attention, slashing at its legs with no true effect. The Grimm slams a pincer down on your dissipating shadows. Dylan fires at the ground, launching himself over the Deathstalker so he can rain down air from above. Its stinger slams Dylan onto the ground, his body bouncing twice before going limp. The beast raises both pincers to crush the young Faunus, but in a red flash, he's a gone. The pincers shake the ground on contact, bouncing the shells Dior is releasing. You dash along its stinger, slicing the base, then _**stepping**_ directly above it and slamming the sword on its shell.

"Just break already!" You complain, jumping off the Grimm.

Ruby slips around the back, dragging her scythe around it to cut a large portion of its back. You follow her example by dashing forward, sliding under a pincer and slashing its mouth. Dylan, now back on his feet, connects Zephyr Shale and fires a massive blast of air that pushes beast on its side and in the air. You step behind it, charge your arm, and hit the Grimm as if it was a baseball. It spins mid-air, belly facing the ceiling for you all to attack. Ruby and Dylan jump into the air, Ruby straightening her blade while Dylan charges a dust powered fist. Dior retracts his entire layout into his right hand to form a bracer as thin as his skin yet still packing every ounce of power. A spike pops out of each knuckle while barrels are in-between. You _**step**_ beside Dior, taking his free hand and tossing him towards the others, then _**step**_ with your friends.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" You all scream as you all slash, stab, punch, shoot, and blast the belly of the beast.

It almost instantly slams into the ground. Its body is flailed, barely holding itself together from the barrage. The four of you land a few feet away, slightly panting after your combined attack.

"Did we kill it?" Ruby asks.

"I h-hope s-"

A stinger shoots out from the cloud, piercing Dior's chest and slamming him to the ground. You feel your heart beat shake your entire body as you watch your close friend fall to the ground, blood sprouting from his mouth and chest. Not even a second later the Deathstalker bursts from the remnants, smashing both Dylan and Ruby with one slap. The two slam against the wall, their aura shaking from the impact. You slide your hand onto your blade, grabbing it harder than necessary to draw your blood. Eyes locked to Dior's body.

The blood takes over the black blade, a crimson tone matching your anger.

"No human can match these Grimm! I've made the ultimate predator!" Merlot proudly laughs.

"Shut up… You want to see a predator…" You look to the Deathstalker who's closing in on Ruby and Dylan. "Hey, beast!" You shout, getting its attention. "I'm right here."

 _I don't know if my blood will make a difference… but if I don't use everything I have…_

You switch to reverse-grip and burst forward. You slash a few times, sending red shockwaves at the beast, actually pushing it back. Shaking off the damage, it charges at you as well. Not even giving it a chance, you _**step**_ right in front of it and slash its face, _**step**_ to the left and right, gashing it. You repeat this process, speed blitzing the behemoth with constant attacks. You appear away from it and notice something different. Your attacks that were once healed instantly are now lingering. Each slash is resonating with red electricity, preventing any recovery.

"Can't heal? Why..? No, I'm killing this now!"

You stab the ground and allow a flood of blood to flow out of the sword and surround the wounded Deathstalker. The blood shoots out in miniature blades, tearing the Deathstalker apart piece by piece. In ten seconds the entire thing gone. You sheath your blade and drop to one knee, slightly dizzy after using so much blood.

"No! My precious!" Merlot cries.

"Don't worry, Merlot," you huff. "I'm coming for you… and my dad."

Merlot smiles through the monitor.

"Not if his body is ashes."

An alarm rings through the facility as red lights flash. Ruby rushes to your side while Dylan checks on Dior. You look over to your downed friend, hoping for the best. Dylan puts his ear to Dior's chest and listens.

"He's alive! We have to get him out of here now!"

"Yeah," you nod. "You three get out of here. I'm finding my dad," you look back to the monitor that shows your father strung up in Merlot's contraption. Ruby follows your eyes and sees the man locked up.

"I'm coming with you," she says with determination.

"I…"

"You're not going alone. Dylan can take Dior to the airship that's coming. We have to hurry!"

You huff.

"Fine. Let's go."

Dylan throws Dior over his shoulder and heads for an open door.

"You two hurry. We don't know how long this place has." Ruby nods. Dylan, as a safety measure, creates some water and wraps it around Ruby's ankle. "I can get you out of there just in case."

"Thanks, Dylan, now go!"

Dylan runs towards the door while you still search for your father. Finally, you find him. With Ruby holding your hand, you _**leap**_ to the room where Merlot and Jet should be. Unfortunately, Merlot is no longer there, but Jet still is locked against the wall. You eagerly jump towards his body, using the shackles to hold yourself onto the wall. Ruby keeps her eyes out just in case Androids or Grimm attack. You rip off the bottom shackles first, then the right and left. Jet's body falls for Ruby to catch. You're still holding onto the shackles, looking down at the Huntress-in-Training.

"We got him. Now let's go-"

The upper shackles wrap around your wrists, slamming you against the wall to temporarily daze you.

"What the- GAH!"

After the lower ones secure your ankles, electricity pulses through the shackles at a lethal rate. If you didn't have an Aura, you'd be dead. However, this is enough to rob you of the Aura you had left. Before Ruby can even react you're pulled into the wall and a hatch closes behind you.

"(Y/N)!" She screams, still holding Jet's body.

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"The facility's going… damnit, I feel two bodies. I'm sorry, Slater."

Dylan wraps the two bodies in water and pulls them out of the facility as large chunks of the island explode. The shockwave shakes the airship but it manages to keep stable. A small streak of water bursts from the water and lands in the airship beside Dior, who's laid down. Ruby immediately jumps up and runs towards the edge.

"No…"

"Ruby? What is… who…" Dylan recognizes the body. It's a Slater… just not the right one.

"The team at Beacon… is cheering for you," Ruby repeats Ozpin's words.

"What happened, Ruby? Where's Slater?"

Ruby doesn't answer. Instead, she stares at the exploding island. You're gone… are you dead? Are you captured? What… will happen to you?

 **And that's it for the game! There's still one chapter left in the Grimm Eclipse Arc but it's no longer part of the game now. It's been interesting writing the game. It's… limiting, to be honest. The game is a lot of fighting with little story, so balancing the fighting, traveling, and exposition was a tad tricky. I hope you guys liked what I did. Hell, I hope you liked the chapter as a whole! The next one will be out in November, so look out for that!**

 **A new story is premiering at the end of the month! It would have been a second Crimson Shadow chapter or a Halloween special but the votes told me differently. Didn't vote? Well, why not follow my Twitter so you get updates on my progress and even get your say when it comes to content! It's worth it!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading. I'll see you all later!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **If you REALLY like me you could consider supporting me on . You can make a request for any stories you want! Of course it's optional but it helps. Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: Ride The Lightning, Manuel Garcia**


	30. Chapter 30: A Family's Battle

**Chapter 30: A Family's Battle**

As always, the library is a fairly quiet place. Students are either studying, having a leisurely read, or working on some sort of project. The latter pertains to Dior Aurik, who's at the very back, in the very corner of the library so he can work in peace on Calamity. It was his fault things went the way he did. If he hadn't let himself be defeated, if he hadn't used so much Aura... he could've been there to help you. This stress reflects his progress. His hands are shaky, his mind unfocused. What he could have done in minutes has taken him almost an hour.

"You're stressed," a monotone voice speaks to him.

Dior looks through his glasses to see his leader, Onyx. As always his appearance is a surprise. He's definitely someone that's easy to miss, even when he's not using his Semblance.

"I'm w-w-w-w-worried," Dior says, instantly agitated that it took so long to say that word.

Onyx takes a seat beside his teammate, not smiling, not putting a hand on his shoulder, just sitting beside him.

"We all are. (Y/N) has been missing for a week. Some believe he's dead."

"He's n-n-n-not d-d-d…" Dior sighs, frustrated.

"I know he's not, Dior," Onyx bluntly states, his even voice never breaking. "So stop stressing yourself."

Dior rests his head in his hand, looking at Calamity's screen. He's been trying to formulate a new way for Calamity to function. As it stands, Calamity's power supply is Dior's Aura. This makes it more effective against Grimm and able to utilize more adaptive and powerful modes. It has a drawback, however, like running out of Aura and being defeated by a Mutated Deathstalker. This is why others want him to stay back. He can provide immense support with little threat to himself. Now, being on the front lines, he's injured himself and caused you to be taken.

His fist squeezes as he thinks on his failure. Onyx notices this, yet doesn't react.

"Beacon is searching for him, Dior. Let yourself rest. Be prepared for when we take him back."

"If w-w-we do."

"We will. He has too many people at his back. Besides, I believe Rogue and Ruby are more than enough."

Dior looks over at Onyx, examining him for a moment. His speech is always so bland that Dior's unsure whether his leader is trying to make a joke or not. He returns his gaze to his weapon.

"I… won't fail you again," he whispers.

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Team RWBY returns to their dorm after their mandatory classes. Ruby instantly retreats to her bed, puts her hood up, and looks to the wall. The three girls share a concerned look.

"Professor Ozpin requested to see me after classes," Blake speaks as she puts her notes down on her bed. "I'll be back later."

Weiss and Yang acknowledge Blake without speaking. The sound of the handle turning, the door opening and closing, this seems to be the loudest sound in the world due to how dreadfully quiet the room is. Weiss and Yang stand near the center of the room, both perplexed on how to handle the situation. Yang flicks her head towards the door, urging the Heiress to depart as well. Weiss does this with no fuss, repeating the process of Blake.

Yang pulls herself onto Ruby's bed and sits on the edge, giving both her and Ruby plenty of space.

"Hey…" Yang places a gentle hand on Ruby's arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Ruby sniffles.

"You've said that for a week now, Rubes."

"Cause I don't want to talk."

Yang takes her hand back, placing it on her thighs. She stares across the room at her own bed, thinking of words to say.

"You can't let this break you, Ruby. You're stronger than that."

Ruby curls in on herself even more.

"How can I not, Yang. He's gone. He's gone and we can't find him and he could be hurt or… or…" Ruby shuts her eyes tight, tears starting to pour.

"You can't think like that. You have to keep a clear head and-"

"How would you know, Yang!" Ruby lashes out. "You don't know what it's like! You don't care about him like I do! You don't… you…"

"Ruby," Yang turns around to face her sister's back. "I don't want to hear that for a second. I know exactly what it's like. When you went missing at Mt. Glenn…" She sighs before laying down and pulling herself beside Ruby, arms around her little sister. "I was so scared. But I didn't let that cloud my judgment, didn't let myself fall victim to fear. I knew you were okay. You're my sister, after all. You have to know that (Y/N) will be okay. We've both seen what he can do. There's no way someone like him can be killed by this Merlot guy." Yang tightens her grip, but not enough to make her or Ruby uncomfortable. "You can't lose hope, Ruby. Because if you do… we all do."

Ruby pushes off the bed, releasing herself from Yang. She sits normally, looking into her sister's lilac eyes.

"Yang… I…"

Yang pulls Ruby in for an actual hug, instantly making tears fall from Ruby's eyes.

"It's okay Ruby, it's okay. I'm here. I'm always here for you."

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Blake exits the elevator and enters Ozpin's office. The Headmaster greets Blake with a warm smile, gesturing her to take a seat.

"Good evening, Miss Belladonna. Thank you for seeing me today."

"It's not a problem, Professor," Blake politely responds as she takes a seat.

Ozpin intertwines his fingers just under his chin.

"Well, I'm sorry to say I didn't call you here for pleasant matters. Dylan Brine. He hasn't been to class since (Y/N) was taken." Blake readjusts in her seat as Ozpin speaks. "Apart from (Y/N), I believe you are the most acquainted with Mr. Brine. I was hoping you might be able to tell me where he has gone."

"With respect, Professor, I think you both know what he's gone to do," Blake replies.

"I am well aware of what he's trying to do, Miss Belladonna. I wish to know where one of my students have been for the past week."

"I… don't know," she sighs. "He never told me. He never told anyone. He just left… but we all know what he's doing.

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"GAAAAH!" The Faunus screams, but they're instantly muffled when Dylan grabs his face, covering his mouth.

Dylan slams the Faunus into the wall, pushing his skull against the wall. The light in the room is flickering due to the battle damage. Dozens of White Fang members are strewn across the room, some face down on the floor, some resting against the wall… but none of them are breathing.

"Merlot. Where is he?" Dylan asks the same question he's posed dozens of times over.

"I… I… I-"

Dylan pulls his fist back and punches the Faunus' leg, releasing pressurized air to destroy his knee.

"GAAAAH! MY LE-"

Dylan slams him into the wall again.

"Merlot," he says with a sharper tone. "Where is he? I know he's providing the White Fang with tech. Don't bullshit me. Where is Merlot? Where is Slater?"

The Faunus whimpers in pain and fear. His entire cell was just murdered by this Faunus who used to work with them. But now his fury is raining down upon the White Fang, and nobody has an umbrella.

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!"

"Who meets with Merlot, then?" Dylan snarls.

"The human! The one with glasses!"

Dylan looks down, sneering.

"Damnit… Harrier…" Dylan returns his sharp gaze to the terrified man. "I'm done with you."

"W-Wait! NO! Don't! Please I-"

Dylan punches with Zephyr Shale, effectively snapping the neck of the last Faunus. He drops the limp body and turns away.

"There's no way I can beat the information out of Harrier. He'd kill me. It's clear that only the inner circle knows about Merlot's activity." Dylan slams his fist into the wall. "I'm accomplishing nothing while Slater is gone… what kind of partner am I…" He tightens his fist… then relaxes. "No… no, I'll find him. Slater wouldn't give up if the roles were reversed. There's… one option I still have." Dylan grabs his scroll out of his back pocket and starts typing a message. "Let's just hope she'll listen to me."

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Your teeth are as tight as they can be in response to the wave of electricity coursing through your body. After a few seconds, the electricity halts and your body limps. You slowly lift your head to look at the deranged doctor across the room.

You've been strung up on the wall for… however long you've been here. Sure, Merlot has fed you, kept you hydrated, but he's been far from a gracious host. From what you've gathered, you're at another of Merlot's hideouts. This one only consists of this room, but apparently, the island you're near is filled with Merlot's Mutated Grimm. This area has dozens of computers and lab equipment set up around this small room. There were only two things that have interested you – a small list of powerful Mutated Grimm that surpasses the Deathstalkers lethality, and Merlot's obsession with your family's healing semblance.

"W-What's wrong… Merlot? That was more than usual," you say with a coy smile.

"Well, I can't have your Aura recovering now, can I?" He says with a smile, turning to face you. "I'm almost done with you. Though I must admit, you are a more disappointing subject than Jet and Harrier.

"My bad… didn't mean to be more stubborn than my dead father," you speak with venom.

"Well, it's quite alright. Our time has been quite insightful. Your family's regenerative properties are astounding. Even yours, despite how… underwhelming it is compared to your elders." Merlot moves to another bench and continues working. "It's quite complex, you know. A combination of Harrier's blood and Jet's creates potent regenerative properties. Ah, did you know that Harrier's blood has been infused with your fathers? Quite interesting indeed," he monologues.

"What..? Harrier has my dad's blood in him?"

"I was as surprised as you were! No wonder he's near immortal. Thankfully I've replicated that to my Grimm. Though I must say it was difficult. Finding the right balance of blood proved more difficult than I thought. Too much of Jet or Harrier's and it ruined the healing, making it… well… it's not quite the immortality I'm looking for. But, thanks to my genius, I've found the perfect composition!"

"Whoop-dee-do- GAAAAAAAAAH!" Electricity rushes through your body once more, knocking you unconscious within seconds.

"Thank you, (Y/N) Slater. Your healing factor has aided my research, if by a small margin. Since you have helped, however, I will grant you an… honourable death."

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The moon rises and the light fades from all of Remnant. The students of Beacon are retreating to their rooms, their friends' rooms, or are getting in some last minute studying or reading at the library. Team RWBY has all returned to their dorm at this point. To Weiss and Blake's surprise, Ruby was more chipper and talkative. Not to the degree she normally is, but it's an improvement.

But even with Ruby's improved mood, the team has to get ready for bed. Blake is relaxing on her bed, reading. Ruby has already fallen asleep, Yang is stretching, and Weiss is having an evening shower. It seems like the evening will be a calm, peacfu-

"I'm checking, Kin!" A loud, female voice shouts in the hall.

"I admire your dedication, Rogue, but there's no doubt he would have seen us if he'd returned! We couldn't miss a presence like his!" A second booming voice speaks.

"No, Kin, we couldn't miss a presence like yours. (Y/N), on the other hand, will do anything to get away from me! I don't know why. I try to be as pleasant as possible with him, but-"

"I believe he's afraid of you, my dear! Don't worry, not everyone can handle your personality!"

Rogue stops, resting on her hip and facing the towering man.

"Kin… are you trying to annoy me? I'm stressed out enough as it is!"

"Perhaps a warm tea or some meditation might help! Oh, some baking! We could all reap the rewards!"

"KIN! You're not helping!"

"Because you're not letting me help, my dear Rogue!"

Yang's finally had enough. She marches out of her dorm and approaches the duo.

"Some people are trying to sleep!" Yang shouts.

Kin shifts his focus to the busty brawler in her pajamas.

"Ah, Yang, was it?" Kin greets. "My dearest apologies. Rogue has trouble keeping her voice down," he says, placing a hand on his chest and bowing his head.

"Me, I, you… gaaah," Rogue pinches the bridge of her nose. "Whatever. You're the sister of (Y/N)'s… new girlfriend," she says with disdain.

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

Rogue, for once, gives a caring smile to the blonde.

"Give her my condolences. She must be having a harder time than I am."

Yang blinks twice in astonishment.

"Oh… uh… yeah, I will. Thank you."

Rogue lets out a huff in an attempt to clear her head.

"I'm sorry for my behavior before, too. (Y/N) just… he's a touchy subject for me. Seeing him again… and being a regular idiot," she turns away, scolding, then returns her gaze to Yang with a happy smile. "Well, I'm not as bad as people say I am."

"She's right! She's worse!" Kin cheerfully comments.

"KIN!"

"It was a jest, Rogue, a jest. It's good to finally see a smile on your face. Seems I have to thank you, Yang. You're not only beautiful but charismatic too," he pats Yang's arm. "Wow, that's a strong arm. You're a fighter like me, huh? You like to let your fists do the talking."

"Yeah… that's what I do," Yang answers, still a little thrown off at Kin's… upbeat personality.

"That's fantastic! I'd love to have a duel with you one day! I'm sure we could learn a-"

"Kin! This isn't what we came here for!" Rogue cuts off.

"But Rogue, this will answer your question! Yang," Kin clears his throat. "Has (Y/N) returned?" He asks in a calmer, more serious voice.

"Not yet," Yang shakes her head. "It's got everyone on edge, obviously," she looks back towards Rogue.

"I see," Kin exhales through his nose, thinking for a moment. "Well, no need to worry when it comes to (Y/N). He's one of the strongest people I know! Not stronger than me, though," Kin exclaims with pride and energy. "When he's back we'll be sure to celebrate. Our team, (Y/N)'s team, and yours!"

"Mine?"

"Wait, what? No!" Rogue interjects.

"Don't be a downer, Rogue! These are (Y/N)'s friends, like us! It would bring us together," he says, wrapping his arm around each girls' neck and brings them closer. "See? You're not burning alive being close!"

The two girls struggle, but Kin's brute strength keeps them from escaping. The man lets the two girls go, then places his hands on his hips to stand proudly.

"Well, we should be going back to our dorm, Rogue. I'm sure we interrupted enough sleep this night. I thank you for this conversation, Yang. I do hope we can have another in the near future. I'll be sure to bring at least you. I can't bear being away from such a beautiful woman."

Yang rolls her eyes despite having a smile.

"Whatever you say, big guy."

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Dylan paces back and forth under the glow of the broken moon. Once again he's here to meet someone who he never wished to see again… or at least not in a civil manner. His cat ears twitch as he hears footsteps coming from behind him. He turns that way to face Aza Brine. She comes to a halt just beside a tree and stares down her brother.

"I thought we had our final goodbyes," she calmly says.

"You're the one who agreed to come," Dylan retorts.

"Hmph, fair enough. What do you want, Dylan?"

"Merlot. I want to know where he is."

Aza's brow raises.

"Merlot? The one that Slater meets with?" She says with disgust.

"The same. I need to know where he hides. He deals with the White Fang-"

"He deals with the humans," Aza quickly corrects. "Well… to my knowledge, he used to. The humans gathered… well, it's none of your business what we have, seeing as you're no longer with us."

"I'm not here to debate morals, Aza," Dylan says, his frustrations growing. "Just tell me what I want to know or leave."

Aza crosses her arms and snickers.

"You've gotten bolder, little brother. I'd be proud if you weren't a traitor."

"Aza…"

"Very well," Aza uncrosses her arms and starts walking towards Dylan. "As I said, Merlot's usefulness has run out. I don't think anyone will miss him." Aza stops in front of Dylan and takes out her scroll. She presses a few buttons then puts it away. "I don't know exactly where he is, but Harrier would always travel to the islands around Vale in this area. That's all I can give you."

Dylan nods.

"Thank you, Aza."

"Don't mention it. Now get out of here before I decide to punish you in the name of the White Fang."

Dylan snickers.

"Which White Fang? The Faunus' or the one being strung along by humans?"

Aza's body flares.

"Hold your tongue, Dylan! I just helped you!"

"And I'm hoping I can help you. Perhaps returning to Sienna will… keep you out of this fight."

Aza proudly places a hand on her chest.

"We're doing Sienna's work here. Adam has assured that she is aware of-"

Dylan turns away, shaking her head.

"If you say so, Aza. But, if I recall, you were sent here to be Sienna's eye. Have you even reported back?"

"There's no need to."

Dylan stops at the tree line and looks over his shoulder.

"I suppose you're right. Stay safe, sister."

Aza sighs.

"You too, brother."

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On a platform of water, Dylan lands where Bullheads would normally rest. He takes in the scenery of Beacon Academy, that which he hasn't seen in some time. It'll be a welcome change to rest in a warm bed rather than a cot or the floor. At least he isn't returning empty handed. He has information on where you might be, but he's not dumb enough to charge in alone like… well, you would. No doubt Ozpin would employ at least two fully trained Huntsmen to rescue you from scum like Merlot. He has to bring this information to Ozpin right away.

The young Brine sprints ahead, following the paths leading to Ozpin's tower. Going full throttle, Dylan sprints through Beacon's grounds. His footsteps range from stamping on concrete to sinking in the soil. The dim light poles give the concrete some colour, but it matters little thanks to Dylan's Faunus eyes. He just hopes Ozpin is still in his office. He has no idea where he would be otherwise.

Dylan reaches Ozpin's tower and heads straight to the elevator. After a short ride, the door opens. Ozpin stands directly in front of Dylan, clearly surprised at the young man's appearance.

"Mr. Brine. Glad to see you've returned," he greets.

"I know where (Y/N) is," Dylan states, getting straight to the point.

Ozpin smiles.

"It seems we have much to talk about. Take a seat. I'll have to contact some Huntsmen in the field."

"I'm going," Dylan declares with conviction.

"Of course," Ozpin says passively as he returns to his chair. "More than you, Mr. Brine, more than you."

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RWBY, JNPR, and almost a hundred other teams gather in the courtyard. Every student attending Beacon is gathered here. Ozpin stands on a stage with every other teacher and Dylan. Ozpin approaches the mic and clears his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"As you all know, one week ago one of our own was taken by Dr. Merlot. Some of you may recognize that name… some may not. Nevertheless, we cannot stand idly by while any of our students are taken. Each and every one of you is important to our staff, to all of your fellow students. (Y/N) Slater is one of those students. We have all felt the sorrow of his disappearance… but now is the time to rectify that. Thanks to one of our own, Dylan Brine," Ozpin gestures to the young Faunus beside him. "We have the location of Dr. Merlot's base," this stirs the massive crowd. "I see you already know what I'm going to say. Well, I won't waste your time anymore. Bullheads are ready to bring us to Merlot's location. Those who decide to come… I will see you there."

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Your eyes flicker open as your mind comes to life. The shining sun is a welcome, yet difficult change to the dull indoors that you've been used to for the past week. You come to realize your body is no longer restrained by shackles. You push onto your feet and start stretching and working your muscles. While moving, you examine your surroundings. You're located at the edge of a forest that leads to a beach. You can clearly see where the flora and sand come together for just a moment before going their separate ways. The ocean is gleaming thanks to the rays of the sun. It would be a place you could sit and relax if not for the fact that you know you're in the middle of Merlot's scheme.

"I have what I want from you, (Y/N) Slater. Now you fight another of my champions. It'll take care of you," Merlot's voice speaks through unseen speakers.

"Heh, of course. Why didn't you let me recover completely, then?" You cheekily remark.

"Hmph, that confidence will be washed away soon enough while your corpse is devoured!"

You gauge your Aura as you roll your shoulders. You have enough to keep you safe for some time and to _**step**_ in an immediate area, but you're unsure whether you can reach the mainland. Your brief concentration is interrupted by a sound coming from the forest. You roll forward just in time to dodge whatever has come for you. You get to your feet and spin around to face the Mutated King Taijitu slithering forward. Much like the Deathstalker, this is at least twice as large as its common variant. Green veins are present through the whole thing along with the same glowing green spikes protruding from both the white and black head.

You wrap your left hand around your sheath and tighten your muscles.

 _I won't be able to get away with this thing on me. If I didn't have to heal my muscles then I might have more Aura to play with. I'll have to find a way to… what?_

Three more Mutated King Taijitu emerge from the forest, surrounding you completely. You take a few steps back to get whatever distance you can.

 _Great… one of those things will be hard enough… I'll have to find a way to separate them. It's my only chance!_

You can feel the gentle waves crashing against the back of your shoe, the few drops of sweat sliding down your face, the warming handle of your blade as you tighten the grip. Your arm is ready to unsheathe your blade and defend yourself at a moment's notice.

Suddenly three tendrils zoom past your head, wrapping around each of the Grimm and pulling them towards you.

"Whoa!" You jump over the one directly in front of you and land facing the ocean, just catching a glimpse as they are dragged into the sea. "The hell was that?" You exclaim.

"Your enemy," Merlot proudly answers.

The water begins bubbling as something approaches. You hop back three times, reaching the edge of the forest. The beast slowly emerges from the water, revealing it's ugly head… and another head… and another head. Eight Mutated Taijitu heads emerge from the water as the massive body they're connected to follows. The size of the beast outdoes every building at Beacon Academy, save the main tower. The eight heads all look down at their prey – that being you. Their intimidating eyes send shivers down your spine whilst they hiss and show their tongues for no more than a second.

"A beautiful beast, for sure. A Grimm that can absorb all others! You can't beat him! Now, (Y/N) Slater, you will die!"

The Mutated Hydra rushes at you, forcing a hasty retreat. You turn around and jump forward, landing on a branch and springing off. The Hydra topples or crushes every tree in its way as each head attempts to gobble you up. You jump from tree to tree as fast as you can to get some distance but it's useless. The beast, despite its size, is insanely fast. There's no way you'll outrun it conventionally.

Suddenly a head comes around from the left, mouth open to swallow you whole. You land on the next branch and jump straight up to avoid the mouth. The moment you pass the tree line another head is there to attack. It rams into your stomach, knocking you over its eyes and forcing you to roll over its long neck. You grab your blade and drive it into its neck, slowing yourself down as you cut it open. You look up at your attack and see that your attack is healing as fast as you're dealing it.

 _So he was right. It's healing ridiculously fast_.

You pull your blade out of its hide and start running down its neck. The other heads are hunting you, taking up most of the airspace around you. One of them opens its mouth and comes down on you, disregarding its sibling's health. You can feel the warmth of its mouth as you slide to avoid it. The fleshy insides nearly touch you as they clamp down on its hide, missing you.

"Damnit, this is way too clo-"

You're caught off guard by a head smacking you from the side, sending you spinning through the air. You don't even have the time to recover as another head drives itself into your stomach and towards the island. You scream the entire way until you collide with the ground - your voice instantly silences as the wind is knocked out of you. A small explosion of dirt, rock, and wood erupts from the collision zone. The head pulls back, leaving you in a small crater. Your Aura is softening the blows, but with attacks this heavy your low supply won't last for much longer. Your movements are sporadic as you lift your body onto your elbows. You don't even have a moment to think as the same serpent closes in on you.

You _**step**_ to the side just before it crashes into your location, appearing in a standing position facing the crater. You push off your foot and go for an attack, but a separate snake rushes at you from behind, crushing you between its mouth and the others neck. With you stuck, it flicks its head up which sends you spinning higher and higher into the clear sky. . You spot three more serpent heads zooming to swallow you whole. With a quick thought, you _**step**_ to the nearest one and plant your blade into its skull. With this, you use all your strength to redirect the serpent head into another one, the two colossal beings crashing into one another. You pull out your blade and jump onto that head, then run down its neck, flailing your sword at its hide as if you're marking each step you take. Though each cut heals almost instantly, making your work worth nothing.

The sea of serpent heads surrounds you as you shift from running to sliding down the skin. Most of the sky around you is plagued by black, white, and green colours. At the center is you, a single teenager with your black blade. An ant against a monster. Your eyes flicker back and forth, tracking every head and its course.

 _There's gotta be a way around its healing. I have to figure it out before this thing overwhelms me._

You jump off the skin and fly towards the center of the eight heads. You quickly cut your hand and let the blood flow to your blade. You have an idea on how to at least pin this thing down. One by one the serpents chase their prey, all having their mouths open to welcome you into their gullet. You flip over the first head, landing on its neck to jump over the second. You swerve past the third, push off the fourth, roll over the sixth, then spring up to avoid the last two. You bring your blade down, extending its reach with your blood, and stab through all eight necks. This abruptly forces all eight heads to crash into the earth, resulting in multiple dust clouds. You stand at the center, holding your blade with both hands as each snake flails for freedom.

"I can… hold you here," you say through your clenched teeth.

The overwhelming strength of these eight snakes is far more challenging than you thought. On top of that, you're using blood to hoist yourself to the ground. This isn't a solution, clearly, but you have no idea how to beat this thing otherwise. A Grimm that exceeds you in size and power is one thing, but that it instantly heals adds an entirely new obstacle for you to overcome. But if you can find a way to put this thing down for good then maybe you can defeat Harrier when you face him again.

The snakes, desperately struggling for freedom, start tearing their own hides. Soon enough they tear themselves away from your blade, immediately healing the damage they caused to themselves. You feel all the necks slithering away, including the one you're standing on. The sudden movement makes you topple backward. You fall completely off the Hydra, slamming on the ground as the Hydra moves away from you. It slithers towards the middle of the island, but due to its size, it's still relatively close to you. Though its body is moving away, one of the heads capitalizes on your temporary position and rushes you. With its mouth wide open and you unable to move, the snake swallows you in one fell swoop. However, it's unable to close its mouth as the head returns to a resting position with the others. You have Crimson Blade piercing its tongue while your sheath pushes against the roof of its mouth. You're desperately pushing against both to keep yourself alive. Your muscles are bulging, your face is bright red. You feel like you're pushing against two mountains just to survive.

"I'm not getting eaten alive!" You tighten your body. "To hell…" Your course is set, your movements planned. "WITH THAT!" You throw yourself forward, bringing both your blade and sheath with you. With not a millisecond to spare, you free yourself from the snake's mouth before it can clamp down. The Hydra, however, doesn't let you get off easy. The head rams into your back, circles around, and tosses you to the sealine. This sudden attack makes your drop your weapons, the two objects landing along the shore. You scream the whole way before crashing into the water. Your body slowly sinks farther and farther into the darkness. With you gone, the Mutated Hydra begins his growing process.

Small black tendrils fire out of the body and grab other Mutated Grimm around the island you haven't encountered yet. Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and even a Deathstalker are caught by these extensions. Once the prey is secured, the tendrils retract, absorbing the Grimm into itself.

"Yes! Yes! It grows stronger and stronger!" Merlot screams with pride.

Dozens of Mutated Grimm are assimilated into the monstrous Hydra, increasing its size, power, and mutations. The beasts eight heads flail and hiss as power overwhelms it.

You've lost sight of the Grimm as you fall further into the sea.

 _How… am I gonna do this? I… don't have any Aura left… that thing is growing even stronger…_

Faces start appearing in the water as you fall.

 _Mom… Dad… Dylan… Ozpin… Ruby… Everyone…_

You reach out to the faces fading away in the darkness. Your fist clutches with passion.

 _I won't give up! I can't! This isn't the way my tale ends! I won't let it!_

The Hydra's heads are drawn to a sudden eruption in the water. You burst forth from the liquid grave, eyes set on your massive foe. It's even bigger than you thought now. It rivals Ozpin's tower whilst taking up over a third of the island's surface. It's taken over the majority of the forest, leaving only some around the outskirts before the sand. You land, bending your knees to absorb the impact but also to retrieve your weapon and sheath.

"I'm not going down that easily, Merlot. I'll kill this thing somehow!"

 _If I don't have my Aura I'll have to rely on my blood. It's my only shot._

You switch your blade to your left hand then slide your hand across the edge. Once done, you toss the blade then grab it with your right, allowing the blood to flow.

"Get ready, you mutated bastard!"

The Hydra's heads all come at once, some faster than the others. You leap to the right, dodging the first head. While dashing, you spin around and slash at the air, releasing a red sonic wave – one enhanced with your blood. The head slides back, barely dodging your wave. You flip backward, dodging a snake coming from your right, then leap straight up the second your feet touch the ground.

 _It's been a while since I only had to rely on my blood. I'll have to do as much as I can fast or I'll end up killing myself._

You swing your blade in seven different directions, releasing the red waves at each head. Most miss their target, but two collide with the necks of the snakes, injuring them. The eight head, which was the first one to attack you, slithers up from behind. You manipulate your blood to form under your feet, giving you a small platform to use. You push yourself backward, sliding over the snake's mouth and landing between its eyes. It instantly flings its head side to side in an attempt to throw you off. At first, it works, but you use the same blood platforms to spring right back towards its face, impaling your sword between its eyes and cutting further down its neck. Your blade grinds to a halt a quarter of the way down the enormous Hydra's neck. When you look back at your attack… it's still there. The wound is wide open with red electricity surging through it.

"What the?"

You can see the wound healing, but it's clearly at a rate that pales in comparison to before. You unsheathe your blade from the serpent's hide and jump off, flying through the air towards another serpent head.

 _Did my blood do that? Or…_

You stop the flow of blood to your sword as you approach your next target. The snake's pattern is unclear as it moves in all directions to keep you guessing. You catch onto its plan once you hear another head swiftly approaches you from behind. You instantly spin around, slicing snake's mouth. Before it can get too far away you attract your sheath to your hand then throw it down to your feet. You pull it back towards you, making it slam against your heels. You jump off the sheath towards the snake, slashing through its cheek and into its neck. You twist yourself and spring off the hide of the snake. You spin around midair to see your damage. There's no red electricity this time, but the regeneration is still far slower than before.

 _How could…_

"Wait!" You exclaim. "The blood composition! The balance between my father's blood and uncle's is off! It can't heal like Harrier!" You victoriously claim. "Hear that, Merlot! Your creature's strength is actually its weakness!"

"No! I thought I calculated for this! How?" Merlot whines. "Still, you're weak, (Y/N) Slater! You can never beat my beautiful Hydra!"

Your ears start ringing more than you've ever heard before. Its clear Merlot is influencing the Hydra at this point, which means it'll become even more dangerous. All of its attention – all of its wrath – will be focused on you. To its advantage, you're suspended in midair without your blood. The eight Hydra heads surround you, all preparing an attack that you've never seen. Each of the heads opens their mouth and release an unrelenting barrage of spikes. Despite your best efforts, you're unable to deflect all of them. Dozens of spikes graze your body, leaving cuts, destroying what's left of your pants, and some even pierce your right leg and left shoulder. Your screams of agony fill the air as pain overcomes your body. One of the heads stop spewing spikes and instead smacks you down to the sandy shores below. You crash into the sand, grinding across the ground to increase the pain. Your blade lands beside you, hilting itself in the sand.

You can feel the green spikes pulsing in your body – the mutations slowly poisoning every muscle. You push yourself up with your right arm, the one not impaled. Slowly and surely you get to your feet, despite the constant shaking of your leg and arm. You open your left palm and attract your lost sheath. The moment it gets close enough it attaches to your hip. You extend your arm to grab your blade, though you use it as support rather than a weapon. Your breathing is as heavy as your body feels. The spikes are still impaled in you, but if you remove them there's a real chance you'll simply bleed out.

"Heh… pushed into a corner again… I won't whine this time," you shift your grip to one fit for battle. "Come on then, beast. I'm not dying here."

The Hydra's heads race towards you whilst you prepare an attack. Your eyes are open, your mind is clear – you're not afraid of what might happen. Something else attacks the Hydra's heads before they can reach you. Missiles cruise through the air and explode on contacts, releasing small dark clouds in the air. Your entire persona lightens once you see this development.

"I… didn't do that… did I? Did I?" You repeat with a more excited tone.

Your hopes are immediately shot down when you see Bullheads begin to circle the island, releasing more missiles at the massive Grimm.

"Oh… well, that's cool too, I guess," you react with disappointment.

Suddenly dozens of people rain from the sky, landing on the beach all around the island, most out of your line of sight. The sand kicks up from the impact, hiding familiar faces. ORKD, SSSN, CRDL, CFVY, JNPR, RWBY, and so many more teams arrive on the scene. Even the teachers make their entrances known to you. Your smile widens as you see all the students, both from your school and not, all arriving to… help you.

Most of their looks all change to worry as they notice the two green spikes impaled into your body.

"(Y/N)!" A young voice screams as a burst of rose pedals dance along the shoreline.

Ruby stops before you, horrified at the sight of your injuries. All you can do is weakly smile at the young woman despite the constant pain.

"More people… alright… I'm done…"

You fall on your back, pushing the spikes slightly out of your body. This temporarily increases the pain you're feeling, causing you to wince. Ruby falls to her knees and places a hand on your chest.

"You… you're hurt."

"You don't say," you tease, but this makes Ruby frown at you. "Sorry, just… happy to see a familiar face after so long. Heh… you trimmed your hair a bit."

Ruby nods whilst keeping in tears.

"Y-Yeah… I did."

The rest of RWBY, JNPR, ORKD, and Dylan, along with Ozpin and Glynda, surround you. Their concerned eyes all looking down upon you, the light of the sun complimenting all of them.

"Heh… glad you could all join the fun."

"Looked like you needed help," Dylan remarks.

"Nah… I had it."

"You did no-"

Kin covers Rogues mouth before she can say anymore.

"It's good to see you alive and… breathing, (Y/N)!" Kin greets.

"Yeah… glad you could all make it. Ozpin, Glynda," you look up to the older ones. "I messed up my mission. I'm sorry."

Glynda adamantly shakes her head.

"You will not apologize. You did nothing wrong, (Y/N)."

By Ozpin's command, a small team of medics reach your location. Everyone makes way for them so they can get to work.

"We'll have to get him out of here," the man states.

You shake your head.

"No. I'm staying. Just patch me up."

"But-"

"Listen to him," Ozpin interjects.

"Yes, sir," the woman nods. "Let's get these… things out of him. We'll have to bandage him immediately to stop the bleeding."

"Students, I want everyone to be careful. We've never faced a Grimm of this scale before. Stay in your teams, probe it for weaknesses. Nobody is a hero, here. Stay safe," Ozpin speaks to all students through their scrolls.

The hundreds of students and Huntsmen all follow the Headmaster's commands. They engage the Grimm, diverting its attention from the temporary Bullhead attack. RWBY, JNPR, ORKD, and Dylan remain at your side. They know you the best and want to make sure you're okay. With precision and experience, the medics unsheathe the spikes from your body and quickly bandage you up. Without a proper medical facility, there's little more they can do. Your bandages turn red while they're wrapped around you.

"He's already healing," the man notes.

"Not enough to save him."

"Heh, thanks, dad," you whisper to yourself. "I'll be fine, don't worry. I just need to recover some Aura. Dior," you look to your friend. "I want you to patch me into everyone here."

Dior smiles and nods before setting up. He sets his briefcase down and connects everyone's scroll to yours. You grab your device and get to your feet with the help of the medics.

"Alright everyone, I see you want to take my spotlight so let me help you a bit. This thing can regenerate as I'm sure some of you have noticed. It actually healed almost instantly but… well, I stopped that," you say, telling a white lie. "It's vulnerable. So here's the plan: everyone who uses guns, bows, grenades, any ranged weapons I want you to surround the Hydra. Hit it from every angle at all times. Don't give it a second to breathe! Anyone who considers themselves a heavy hitter, I want you to rendezvous with Dylan Brine. Dylan," you turn to him. "You're going to bring all of them into the air with your water thingies. Everyone will focus on damaging and incapacitating the heads. Everyone else, I want you to keep attacking. Support those who need it and keep the pressure on this thing!"

Ozpin places his hand on your shoulder, grabbing your attention.

"That was quite calculated."

"I'm surprised he doesn't want to do it himself," Glynda remarks, passing you on the opposite side.

You look between Ozpin and Glynda… two people who have been there for you. People who you would consider your family, your parents. Your eyes trail to the other teams ahead of you, and even to those battling in the distance. An uncontrollable feeling bubbles out from within you. One of comfort, safety, and happiness. These feelings force a smile on your face despite the resonating pain. You bring your scroll back to your face and speak.

"Let's show this Mutated monstrosity that he's no match for Beacon! For family!"

Glynda leads the remaining teams into battle, leaving you, Dylan, Ozpin, Dior, and the medics behind.

"What's wrong?" You ask Dylan.

The Faunus walks up to you, his face stone cold. He stares into your confused eyes for a moment before relenting in his intimidation.

"After this battle… we watch each other's backs, okay? We're a team. We're… family, like you said. And-"

"I love you too, Dylan."

"What? No! You idiot, I'm trying to be serious!" He retorts.

You chuckle at his reaction.

"I get it, Dylan, don't worry. Go on and kill this thing for me."

Dylan shakes his head at your words… but he smiles.

"I will."

The young Faunus runs off into the forest. Your plan is in motion – there's no way Beacon can be beaten by this thing.

"Well, I guess I should get started too," you moan, freeing yourself from the grip of the medics to limp towards a stationed Dior. "I'll try to recover as much Aura as possible. Dior, do you-"

"I'm t-t-tracking everyone's position and Aura. I-If something happens I'll contact others."

"You're a mind reader, Dior," you compliment as you take a seat beside him. "Ozpin… Dior… I gotta thank all of you for coming."

"I w-w-would never abandon you," Dior declares.

"I agree with Mr. Aurik. You are my son, after all."

"Heh… yeah… plus I don't think anyone would have believed a story about a massive Hydra. Well, I'll be gone for a bit. I leave everything to you."

You close your eyes and exhale. Your mind is calm, focused, and alert. It may take some time, but you Aura will recover quicker this way.

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Onyx, the infamous leader of team ORKD, is on his own. He's taken position by the north-east side of the island, and, unfortunately for him, one of the Hydra heads has made him his target. The young man leaps from tree to tree, seamlessly letting loose three arrows from his bow during each jump. The arrows stack one after another in the hide of the Hydra head. Its neck slithers through the trees, knocking them down as it chases its prey. Onyx grabs hold of Dust infused arrows, firing one in each of the Hydra's eyes and the final down its open mouth. Once the arrows are set loose, Onyx stops on the next branch and launches himself over the head of the best. He fires five more explosive arrows at the neck. After the final shot, he pulls on each end of Witherbrand, extending the bow and activating the two blades on either side. He spins the double-edged sword around his body then plunges it into the creature's neck. The Hydra riles in pain, throwing its head to the sky. This sudden momentum tosses Onyx off the hide and into the sky.

Luckily a hand grabs hold of him and pulls the young man onto a water pad. Yatsuhashi from team CFVY looks back at the leader of ORKD. They say nothing, only an exchange of glances that reassure each is okay. This small distraction allows the same Hydra head to attack the platform, threatening to swallow the two men whole. However, a body of water shoots in from the side, forming into a pole and holding the mouth wide open. Yatsuhashi jumps into the air whilst Onyx unleashes half a dozen explosive arrows right into the beast's mouth. Once they explode Yatsuhashi comes down with a crushing blow, forcing the head down at a rapid pace.

From below, Yang uppercuts the head with all her might, firing her gauntlets as she does. She moves her sights to another target, knowing there are others to battle that one. Yang can see the dozens of students from Beacon and other schools – most having axes, hammers, claymores, or just their fists. It would be quite the spectacle if their lives weren't in danger, but that could make it all the more thrilling. She fires off projectiles at the next Hydra head that's attempting to chomp down on Nora. The hyper hammer user is laughing as her platform maneuvers around the head, firing grenades at the Hydra.

"Nora!" She calls out, zooming past the girl.

Yang fires a few more shots, getting the attention of the beast. More students, most of which were unknown to Nora and Yang, gather around as well. Five more students, both from Beacon and not, are also circling the head, slashing and hitting away at the beast.

"Yang! Wanna hit it together?"

"You bet!"

Yang fires her gauntlets towards the ground, giving her a boost in the air. The two meet at the same point, smiling at each other. They dive back towards the head, which is preoccupied with the others attacking it.

"SMASH!" Nora yells as her hammer and Yang's fist collide with the tip of its head.

The entire length of the snake crashes to the island, just missing the Schnee Heiress. Weiss slides across her glyphs, coming to a halt and firing some Dust projectiles at the downed Grimm. Unfortunately, that specific head is far from defeated. It slithers towards the lone girl, eager to make her its next meal. Weiss prepares a glyph to amp her speed, but the serpent suddenly stops. Weiss notices a sai stuck in its eye, but the blade is attached to some sort of rope. From a short distance away, Rogue holds the beasts in place with the help of two other girls stabilizing her. Those two other girls… are more Rogues. The appearance of three Rogues confuses Weiss, but the redhead doesn't allow the Heiress to hypothesize.

"Don't just stand there! Attack or run!" The three shout, clearly struggling.

Suddenly a water platform swoops down to attack. Kin, now in a black gi rather than his suit, charges a hammerfist. It collides with the beast, sending it back into the air.

"Nice job, Kin!" The Rogue on his platform shouts.

Kin moves onto another beast that Sage, Arslan, and others are combatting. Without a second thought, Kin leaps off his platform towards the beasts open mouth, screaming with pride and power the whole way. His arms change from their regular complexion to a metallic tone. He connects a devastating right hook to the creature, then grabs its inner cheek with his left hand. He swings himself into the creature's mouth, holding it open with one hand as he slams his fist into whatever he can – still laughing.

"Come on! This is what a true battle is!" He screams as he punches.

"Goddamnit, Kin!" Rogue curses as she hilts one of her sais into the water.

She pulls on it first, assuring its stability. Seeing its good, Rogue ties the string around herself, locking it in place with the blade, then dives towards the mouth of the beast. At the point, the sheer force of the Hydra head is beginning to overwhelm Kin. None of the other students dare attack the head, fearing they may doom a fellow student, thus they all focus on the vast neck until Kin is safe. Rogue dives into the mouth, wraps one arm around her teammate, then tugs on her string to retract them out of the beast's mouth.

"You can't be so hasty, Kin!" Rogue scolds. "This isn't just a training exercise!"

Kin takes a few breaths, allowing the adrenaline to settle. He's well aware he gets caught up in the heat of the battle, doubly so when it's as intense as this.

"You're right, Rogue. Thank you."

From afar, Dylan watches over everyone. It's taxing to keep all these platforms together and moving, along with expending extra water for protection. His Aura is draining rather quickly due to constant usage, but he'll push himself to the max. Everyone is relying on him right now. In a way, it's nice to see all these people fighting together. Never before has he seen this many humans and Faunus come together and battle something on this scale. Seeing them protect each other, respect each other… it's what he wanted all along. It's a step towards true equality for his people. Odd how he finds such a thing in a life or death situation, but that's usually how it is.

Not only are the students battling, but the teachers too. Glynda Goodwitch wards off a rain of spikes from hitting a group of students which includes Jaune, Ren, Ruby, and many others. She turns them back around and fires them off at the closest two heads.

"Keep moving, students. Don't let it catch you standing still!" Glynda commands.

Ruby responds by speeding off whilst Ren jumps into the trees. Jaune looks to his sides where his friends once were, then sighs.

"Man…"

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Merlot vigorously types away on his keyboard. The sudden reinforcements and fact that his creation can no longer heal properly is boding ill for the doctor. Though under stress, he has a plan brewing in his brain. He has a collection of Grimm that suffers from an imbalance of blood. They cannot heal like the Deathstalker or the original Hydra. However, these faults, if calculated properly, could rectify this mistake. All he needs is the proper combination to completely eliminate Beacon Academy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Hydra is completely overwhelmed by the amount of damage being dealt. Though it may be healing gradually, the amount of damage received is outweighing how much it can heal. With constant explosions popping in the air, the Hydra heads whipping around, and the water platforms littering the sky, it's a true sight to see.

Dior is monitoring the island and communications. From what he's hearing, everything is going well. The creature is slowing down – victory is soon approaching. However, something new appears on his screen. More signatures are popping up around the island. Instantly he recognizes it as more Mutated Grimm.

"T-T-There are Grimm appearing on the island!" Dior reports to the students.

Your eyes shoot open when you hear those words.

"Are they Mutated?" You ask with urgency.

Dior looks at you and nods. You rush to Dior's side and grab his scroll.

"Listen, let the Hydra absorb the Grimm! It'll disturb its balance completely and we can kill it!"

Without any resistance from its opponents, the Hydra's tendrils sprout from its body and wrap themselves around the new Grimm. All the Huntsmen and Huntsmen-in-Training watch as these Grimm are absorbed into the massive beast, increasing its size and ferocity. You, along with every other person on the island, watch as the beast grows and grows, a sight all too familiar for you. The Hydra grows larger and larger, almost taking up the entire island. The men and women on the ground are pushed to the edges of the forest and the sand, gawking at the largest Grimm they've ever seen. Even Ozpin is surprised at Merlot's monstrosity. Surprised… and disgusted.

You smile at the fact it's growing. A bigger target with less healing.

"Okay, go now! It should be as vulnerable as any Grimm!"

You and Dior watch from the shoreline as the small army attacks the raging beast. Immediately you notice it's increased speed, but that shouldn't matter to the sheer numbers your side has. You toss Dior his scroll and rest on the sand.

"Heh, looks like they didn't need my help," you say with a coy smile. "I guess leaving things to others is nice."

"I'm just glad you're safe, (Y/N). It's also interesting to see how many allies you've made."

You raise your brow at your friend.

"What's that?"

"We didn't have to come. Your headmaster let us choose, and everyone came. We all wanted to rescue you."

You look past the treeline at the battle.

"Is that so?" You rest yourself against the sand and smile. "I guess I'm just a likable guy," you smugly say.

 _And I guess… I guess Beacon really is my family._

As you retreat to your mind's sanctum, Dior continues to monitor the battle. To his surprise, the increase of the Hydra has made things more difficult than predicted.

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Ruby zooms around the beast's tail and max speed, trying to avoid the tendrils that have now gone on the offensive. This new attack has put pressure on every ground combatant. The sheer amount of them coupled with the mutated spikes raining down is causing trouble for even the fastest Huntress. Unfortunately, Ruby's leg is caught by one of the tendrils and slammed onto the ground. Her Aura absorbs the entirety of the damage, but it doesn't save her from the incoming spikes. Weiss steps in, unleashing a barrage of blasts to destroy or divert the spikes from the immobile Ruby.

She turns her attention to her leader, activating a glyph to keep her in place as she frees her. Weiss dashes to her leader and impales the tendril just before Ruby's foot. As she pulls out her blade she sees… no wound.

"What?"

"Weiss, look out!"

Half a dozen tendrils race towards the girl, but all are stopped by a wall of water. Instantly they know who assisted them. Weiss and Ruby both stab it in different spots, but once again it doesn't do anything.

"It's… healing?" Weiss points out.

Without being noticed, the tendrils manage to break through the liquid defense, pummeling Weiss and sending her away. With Weiss distracted, the glyph holding Ruby disappears. She's dragged across the ground then slammed into some trees, helpless.

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Dylan, on one knee, holds his hand towards the Hydra. His Aura is running on fumes now that the Hydra's power has increased, Dylan's Semblance is in overdrive. From keeping everyone in the air, protecting those people, and defending the ones on the ground. Weiss and Ruby, Pyrrha, dozens of students are all being overrun. Dylan's platforms are slowly shrinking, the water raining down on the island.

"Damn… I can't…"

All the platforms slowly descend to the ground, including Dylan's. He lands beside Dior, panting. Dior's face is filled with worry as his fingers dance along the keys.

"E-E-Everyone's Aura is f-f-failing!"

You're staring at Dior's data, teeth clenched.

"It's healing again… no… how?" You hiss.

"You let this happen, (Y/N) Slater," Merlot's voice echoes across the island. "You allowed it to rebalance the blood. You've sealed Beacon's fate!"

You push off your knee and get to your feet.

"Fine… I guess I'll have to do something."

"What?" Dylan huffs.

You look back and smile at him.

"Something stupid. Dior, hook my scroll up to everyone's again!" You say before sprinting forward.

You grab your scroll and hold it close to your mouth.

"Alright, I have an idea! Everyone stay back until I give the word! We're gonna finish this thing in one attack!"

You _**leap**_ into the air, high above the island.

"Hey, up here!" You scream.

This attracts the attention of all eight heads… exactly like you planned.

 _Alright, alright, I can do this. It fixed its composition of blood so all I have to do is mess it up again._

You slip your scroll in your pocket, unsheathe your blade, and dive towards the Hydra. All of the students watch, waiting for the signal to attack and theorizing what this plan of yours is. The eight heads all attack, their mouths open to ingest you. You spin to the right, passing the first one, then lean to the left, just passing the mouth of another, and drive your blade into his side. Your blade drags through the beast for a few feet before you jump off the snake and head for another.

 _I have to get to the base!_

One of the heads catches you by surprise, appearing from behind. Everyone watches as you're swallowed by the Hydra.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screeches.

"Ruby, there," Yang interjects, pointing higher to the sky.

You appear out of a shadow, diving down at a faster rate.

"I got my own surprise for you, Merlot!" You shout, rotating forward and positioning your blade down. You land on the Hydra's hide, at the base of all eight heads. Your black blade sinks deep into the Hydra, but that won't kill it. You grab the blade with both hands, slicing your palms to allow the blood flow. A small torrent of blood floods out of your hands, down the blade, and into the Hydra. You drop to one knee as your body weakens, but your hands remain as tight as they can be.

"DO IT! ATTACK IT NOW!" You holler louder than you ever have before.

Even without the scroll, everyone can hear you. Putting their faith in your plan, every single student who can still fight leaps towards the hulking Hydra. The blades dance around the body and neck. Nora, Yang, Kin, and other heavy hitters manage to smack the heads closer to the ground, then proceed to pummel them. Each blow leaves a lasting effect on the Hydra – it's healing factor is nonexistent. With a combination of fists, axes, hammers, swords, arrows, Dust, and more… the Hydra is finally overwhelmed. Its heads lay on the ground, writhing for escape from the fatal blows being dealt.

All this is from you, a simple boy standing on the very Hydra that's made of his family's genes. This power is taking a toll on you, too. Your body is turning pale, your grip is loosening, your eyes losing light. You can't stop until the beast turns to ash. The sounds of slashing, crashing, wailing and screeching. Soon enough it all stops and your body falls. You're consumed by the black fog of the deceased Grimm as you fall to the flattened terrain below. You fall on your back, your blade lands beside you.

"I told you… my tale… doesn't end here… Harrier… you're…"

Your eyes finally close, blocking out all light from the sun. You're left in the middle of a destroyed forest, pale as a ghost and a smirk resting on your lips.

 **So this chapter took a while. I don't like that it took so long, but it did. Despite everything, I really like the way it turned out. I've had the Hydra Grimm (which, if you didn't know, is from the Manga) in my head for a long time. Actually, since chapter 10. It was one of the ideas I had for a battle, but the Grimm Minotaur won that internal debate. But I kept that idea in my head and decided it would be the final boss for Grimm Eclipse. I hope you all enjoyed. I put a lot of work into this one. I kinda wanted a Volume 3 feel where you see what everyone is doing, but you don't follow them. I didn't want to make this chapter unnecessarily long by including EVERY character and what they're doing in the fight.**

 **Still, I'm happy with the chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it! Another chapter will be out before the end of the month (hopefully) after Limitless. So, I'll see you then!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **If you REALLY like me you could consider supporting me on . You can make a request for any stories you want! Of course, it's optional but it helps. Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: Ride The Lightning, Manuel Garcia**


	31. Chapter 31: A Final Goodbye

**Chapter 31: A Final Goodbye**

"Gah!" Your eyes shoot open, then instantly close at the sight of a bright light. "AH! YOU!" You smack the light to the side, allowing you to gather your thoughts.

You lift your upper body off the bed then drag your hand down your face. You stop your hand over your mouth whilst eying the possessed light of destruction.

"I hate you," you whisper to your most dangerous foe – the hospital light. "But it seems I'm back here… AGAIN!" You scream, falling back on the bed. "It's like there's a target on my back or something… maybe its all the nurses' fault... maybe she wants me here!" You throw your hands towards the ceiling, letting it hang in view for a moment before letting it fall back to your side. "Nah, nurses wouldn't do that. Maybe… Hm… should investigate…"

"Or perhaps you should refrain from getting yourself into these situations," Ozpin comments, closing the door behind him. "Then you could spend more time in class than in this room."

"Oh haha," you mock. "It's not my fault. I was just following orders from Oobleck and Port."

"Of course, I won't blame you for that. In fact, it's lucky you discovered Merlot's base. If he had unleashed those monstrosities on the cities… it would have attracted more Grimm. We owe you much, (Y/N)."

You chuckle, laying back down on the bed.

"It's fine. Anyone would have done it, right? I should be thanking you… all of you. You saved my butt… actually, what happened? We killed it, I think."

Ozpin stands at the end of your bed, cementing his cane on the floor.

"You did. Unfortunately, Merlot managed to escape. But since you managed to uncover two of his bases I'm certain you put a significant dent in whatever his plans were."

You shrug.

"Maybe… but, Ozpin… there's more of those things. I saw them on one of his screens. There were five of them, the Hydra included."

"So there are four more Mutated Grimm like that? Hm… that's troubling news," Ozpin raises his hand to his chin. "I'll have to relay this information to the other schools. Did you learn anything else?"

"Yeah," you nod your head. "He was working with… with Harrier in exchange for blood. I think he might have given Harrier a device that controls Grimm."

"Hm… If Harrier's working with her… why would he need that?" Ozpin whispers to himself. "Anything else?"

"No, well, other than the fact he… wait, my dad!" You shout, throwing the covers off and hopping off the bed. "Where's my dad?"

"We've preserved his body for your return. It didn't feel right to bury him without you," Ozpin elaborates, adjusting his sleeves.

"But where is he?"

"Mm… yes, this way. I'll have Glynda meet with us there," he declares as he grabs his scroll. "Oh, and we found some new clothes for you. I'm sure you'll find a new style, soon enough. If you wish you could take some lien and go shopping."

You open the drawer to find jeans, a long sleeve white shirt, your belt, and your glove. You quickly grab them from the drawer and start dressing.

"I'll worry about that later. It's just a jacket. It's nothing compared to my father."

"How mature. Very well, let's go."

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Glynda receives a message on her scroll from the Headmaster, requesting her to meet him at Jet's resting place. The message is redundant as Glynda is already there. Jet's body is laid in a glass case below Ozpin's tower. Though not the same floor as another vital person, but this one is just as, if not more, important than her. They provided a new attire as opposed to the simply undergarments Merlot used. He's now in a brand new white suit, arms crossed, completely motionless.

"I… didn't think I'd have to see this again," she says to herself as she places her hand on the glass. "I still think of you… I do… Your son is so much like you, I… sometimes it's hard. I thought I buried you in my memory but it seems I'm meant to remember you. Your weapon is still safe with him, you know? He even carries the gift you and Clementine gave. Hm…" Her eyes trail off. "I still remember when I met Clementine… I knew of her, somewhat, but you…"

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 _It's unordinary for Ozpin to send Glynda on a mission, especially one that involves securing a village. Grimm attacks are a common problem that other Huntsmen handle. She's a professor, not a field agent. But refusing this order would be foolish, and Glynda's already finished her paperwork anyway._

 _The smoke can be seen from miles away, which helps in leading one to the village in peril… or warn those who wish to avoid the Grimm. Glynda only hopes there aren't too many causalities by the time she arrives. Generally, villages left for this long… well, not much is left._

" _We're coming up on the village. Be ready for the drop," the pilot informs._

 _The door opens for Glynda, wind blowing at her hair and clothes. She remains stationary, waiting for the moment to jump. On instinct, she dives out with flawless movement. In seconds she lands just outside the village, immediately reaching for her riding crop whilst scanning the area for Grimm. Oddly enough, there are none in this area. She keeps her wits about her as she jogs towards the innards of the village. It's not a large village by any means. At most, there are ten buildings with scattered, flat rocks to act as paths. Glynda proceeds to the middle of the village where she hears the howling of a Beowolf. She quickly rushes past a building towards the sound, but, to her surprise, the Beowolves are fleeing the scene._

" _Yeah, that's right! You better…" A woman shouts, cutting herself off as she catches a breath. "This is too much action for me right now."_

 _Glynda observes the woman who she assumes fought off the Beowolves. She has flowing orange hair passes her forehead and dances down her back. She's extremely pale, though whether that's due to fatigue or natural complexion is unknown to Glynda. The most notable thing is her large belly, indicating she's pregnant. The woman stumbles a bit, placing a hand on her stomach._

" _I'm sorry, little guy. I don't know how much that affects you," she says to her unborn child._

 _Glynda quickly approaches the woman to offer aid._

" _Ma'am, are you okay? Let me help," she says, offering the woman a hand._

" _Oh, a Huntress? I'm sorry, I drove the Grimm off already."_

" _Indeed," Glynda states as she walks the woman to the nearest bench. "Are you a Huntress?"_

" _Oh, goodness, no," she shakes her head. "My husband is, though. Where are my manners, I'm Clementine Tawny."_

 _Glynda's eyes go wide for just a moment._

" _Clementine… you-"_

" _You know Ozpin, I guess?" She says cocks her head to the side, inquisitively. "You'd have to if I gave you that reaction," she ends with a smile._

" _Indeed. Knowing who you are answers my question. "_

" _Quite tiring with this little guy, I have to admit," she says, rubbing her bump. "But with Huntsmen around, I suppose I can relax."_

" _Yes, of course," Glynda takes a seat beside Clementine. "Please forgive my surprise. I never thought I would meet you. I was lead to believe you were protected."_

" _Yes, by my husband. Though he tends to go off on his adventures. He enjoys them, after all."_

" _You said he was a Huntsmen?"_

 _Clementine nods._

" _Yes, an amazing one," she giggles at a thought. "I remember thinking he was so strange. 'I died,'" she mimics his tone. "Such an odd man."_

" _He… died?" Glynda inquires, clearly confused._

" _Oh, yes. Perhaps you heard of him. He was one of the Huntsmen who defeated that Dragon Grimm many years ago."_

 _Glynda's heart skips a beat. There are only two people that could be, and if they said they died…_

" _Is your husband Harrier Slater?" She asks, not sure whether she'd prefer the answer to be yes or no._

 _Clementine shakes her head._

" _No, but I've met him. Strange fellow, I have to say. Very… stoic. No, my husband's Jet Slater. Do you know him?"_

 _She would have preferred "yes."_

 _Her heart sinks, a knot forms in her stomach. A part of her wants to say that Clementine's lying, but she has no reason to deceive Glynda. But, then, why would Jet Slater be alive? There's no way he could live without Glynda knowing. He would have come back to her without question._

" _Are you okay?" Clementine speaks. "You look… pale."_

 _Glynda can't even move in response to Clementine._

" _I… I…"_

 _Suddenly an unmarked Bullhead flies over the village, dropping off a human-sized package. His white coat whips through the air as Jet Slater falls to the grass below. In moments he slams against the ground and bolts towards the village._

" _Clementine? Clementine!" He shouts, getting the attention of both Glynda and Clementine._

" _His voice…" the blonde whispers._

" _Well, late as ever," Clementine chuckles, standing up and walking towards the center of town._

 _The married Slaters' eyes meet as Clementine passes the corner of a house. Jet sprints towards her, concern riddled on his face._

" _Clementine! You're okay!" He happily declares, wrapping his arms around her immediately. "I was worried that you might be hurt."_

" _Please, I'm not useless with a baby, you know? But… it was tiring," she sheepishly admits. "Oh! A Huntress came by. I think she knows you."_

" _A Huntress?" Jet raises his brow. "Maybe from my schooling days?" He guesses as the two walk back to the bench. "Or perhaps it's Via-"_

 _Jet's train of thought derails when his eyes land on Glynda. She's standing now, staring Jet dead in the eyes. The tension formed by this connection could rip apart the moon three times over, and Clementine feels it._

" _I'm… going to check on the others," she uses as an excuse to leave. "Come see me after, Jet."_

" _Mm…" Is his only response._

 _Jet slowly approaches Glynda, who's as still as a statue._

" _I… well, hehe… this isn't how I thought we'd meet again."_

" _You… I mourned you… I cried for you… I thought you died – that I failed you… I loved you, Jet…" Her fists tighten as much as they can while tears fall from her eyes. "And you lied to me… you couldn't even… and her, I…" Glynda's thoughts are as sporadic as a paper boat being swept away by a raging river. "I'm not mad… that you found someone, Jet… You… how could you not see me again? How could you not come back to me?"_

 _Jet's at a loss for words. His reasoning was selfish – idiotic. He's well aware she would have been happier to see him than believing he's dead for all this time._

" _I… I don't know… Maybe I-"_

" _You are going to meet me in Vale tomorrow," she quickly orders. "We're going to sit down in public, have some coffee… and talk. It'll give us time to… wrap our head around this situation. No need for wild emotions."_

 _Jet's fully aware she's speaking more on herself than he, but he doesn't dare say anything. Jet responds with a simple nod._

" _Good," she breathes. "I believe the area is secure. I will see you tomorrow at noon."_

" _Right…"_

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"And you… you talked me down, like always," she whispers to herself, her tears staining the glass case. "I don't even know how I let you get away with everything… you had that charm to you…" She chuckles to herself. "I think you passed it down to your son… maybe your ridiculous adventures, too," she ends with another laugh.

After another minute of silence and inner thoughts, the elevator door opens for you and Ozpin. You immediately spot Glynda and the glass casket. In your haste, you step beside the casket, eyes drawn to your deceased father. Glynda steps out of the way for you while Ozpin calmly approaches.

"Heh… white," you say. "I remember he wore white… a coat… I… I can see him more clearly, now…" Your mind wanders back to the nightmare that was your father's death. The Beowolf attacking you, the crying the shouting, the look of your father as he commanded you to run. "I know I had that picture, but…" A few more droplets fall on the casket, merging with Glynda's. "Heh… that's my dad," you say with a quivering smile. "That's my dad… and he's dead."

Ozpin and Glynda remain as silent as a mouse as you speak. To see a loved one after so many years is hard for anyone, especially when they've moved on.

"Hey, Ozpin… how is it my dad died by a Beowolf?" You inquire, keeping your eyes on his corpse. "If he had even half of Harrier's healing… it's so weird to think."

Glynda and Ozpin both share a concerned look.

"Well… even your father could be overwhelmed, as any Huntsmen could."

"Mm… I guess it was my fault, then."

"No, of course not!" Glynda cuts in. "Your parents would've happily given their lives for you. Don't think negatively about it."

"Glynda's correct. Both your parents spoke highly of you in terms of character and combat, despite your age. I'm sure they'd be more than proud to see how you've grown."

"Mm… I would've rathered them be here instead… Can I… have a minute, maybe?"

"Of course. When you're ready please let us know and we'll make the journey to his grave," Ozpin says before turning around and marching towards the door.

Glynda stares at you with saddened eyes. It's unlike you to act in this manner, but given the circumstances, she's not surprised. She could only imagine how you'd react if you kn-

"Glynda," Ozpin cuts in. "Are you coming?"

"Of course, Professor," Glynda nods.

Your eyes focus on your father's figure until the elevator door shuts. You look back towards it, seeing only the architecture of the room. After a moment, your eyes return to your father's corpse.

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"He's been sleeping the entire time, to my knowledge," the nurse speaks as she leads Ruby through the medical wing. "I swear, he's caused me nothing but grief since he arrived. Constantly coming and going without signing or…" she rubs her temples. "Ah, sorry, I'm sure you don't want to hear about it."

"No, no, it's okay," Ruby supportively speaks. "I'm sorry he's caused you trouble. I'll try to keep him out of here from now on."

"Heh, you're his guardian?"

"G… Girlfriend," Ruby sheepishly reveals.

"Oh, I see… must be fun for you," the nurse says before opening the door.

The two women look at the empty bed and the messy sheets. The nurse throws her hands in the air and walks away.

"I don't care. I don't even care. I'm DONE WITH HIM!" She screams through the hallways.

Ruby giggles slightly, despite feeling bad for the poor woman.

"I can relate, Ms," she whispers. "Well, looks like I'm on a Slater hunt… again…" Ruby sighs, but her spirit is still strong. "It is kinda fun though."

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Dylan taps on the desk in annoyance as he's surrounded by other students.

"I didn't know you could do that!"

"How much water can you control?"

"Could you make it rain over Vale?"

"Make me wet!"

"What?"

"Nothing."

After the battle with the Hydra, many students began fawning over the Faunus for his abilities. Dylan didn't even really fight during that encounter. He kept people on platforms and occasionally reached out to protect someone, but having a Semblance of that magnitude caused him to be the talk of the town. Dylan did not like being the talk of the town.

"Should one of us save him," Yang asks before chowing down on some cafeteria food.

The others – Blake, Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora – all watch the fiasco unfold.

"Probably. It looks like he's going to wash them all away," Blake snickers. "So, who's going to…" Blake trails off as all her friends eyes turn to her. "Oh… I see… I have to save him."

"You are the closest to him," Weiss points out.

Blake rolls her eyes whilst she pushes off the table.

"Fine."

"Yes, I can fight as well. Slater simply asked me to support."

"So can you beat (Y/N) in a fight?"

"I…" Dylan taps the desk as he thinks. "Maybe. But what does that matter? Why don't you bother Slater? I'm sure he's up and in over his head in some regard." He rolls his eyes.

"But he can't make me wet like you!"

"Okay, who's saying that?" Dylan shouts, scanning the dozens of students around him.

"Dylan!" Blake says over the crowd, faking annoyance. Everyone looks towards the infamous Faunus, arms crossed and foot tapping as her eyes glare at the young man. "Are you forgetting something?" She says with irritation.

"Um… yes?" Dylan responds, perplexed.

"Ugh, how could you! I thought we were going on our date today!"

The students surrounding Dylan immediately start to vacate the area to avoid Blake's potential wrath, but their sick curiosity keeps their attention on the two.

"Our… I…"

"I shouldn't even give you another chance, but we already paid for the tickets so let's go!" She demands, marching up to him and yanking on his arm.

"I- whoa! Hold on!"

Blake drags Dylan out of the cafeteria, waiting until the door closes behind them to release him.

"You did that to save me, didn't you?"

"They voted me," Blake crosses her arms. "And now we'll have to deal with rumours."

Dylan shrugs.

"That doesn't bother me. It seems like I owe you. Perhaps some tea?"

"Sure, why not? Are you sure you don't want to check on (Y/N), first?"

Dylan starts walking towards the docks with Blake following close behind.

"No. When he wakes I'll hear of it. Come on, it's my treat."

"Well, if that's the case…" Blake says with a coy smile, following her friend.

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"That would be unwise. Knowing (Y/N), he'll go chasing after him despite the clear gap in skill."

"We shouldn't keep lying, Ozpin," Glynda taps her arm. "Sooner or later it'll-"

"Hey, Professors!" Ruby cheerfully greets, waving at the two adults.

"Greetings, Ms. Rose," Ozpin answers with a calm demeanor. "What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen (Y/N)? He left his room and upset the nurse again," she says with a slight chuckle, embarrassed at her boyfriend's actions.

Ozpin closes his eyes and smiles.

"Indeed. He's seeing his father's corpse at the moment."

"Oh," is Ruby's only response, the weight of your activities hitting her. "Hm… is he okay?"

"I believe he'll be alright," Glynda responds, placing one hand over the other. "Perhaps you'll come with us, Ms. Rose? We're… burying his father and I think he'd appreciate you accompanying him."

Ruby immediately nods.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for anything!"

"Even classes?" Ozpin poses, coyly smiling.

"I… no?" Ruby confusedly answers. "How did you want me to answer that?"

"However you wished, Ms. Rose. It will take some time for us to prepare everything. I will find you when we're ready."

"Oh, okay… can… I go see (Y/N)?"

Glynda and Ozpin look to each other as if to relay a silent message.

"I believe it would be best to leave him for now," Glynda speaks. "He needs some time alone."

Ruby's face drops a bit, but she's not disappointed.

"I see… okay. I'll go… study… yeah, study," she mumbles before slipping away from the Professors.

Ozpin solemnly chuckles to himself.

"Such an interesting group of students. Now, I think I'll contact a few people regarding our… earlier conversation."

"As you wish, Professor."

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"Of course," Harrier nonchalantly answers, leaning forward on the purple stoned desk. The entire area has a dark, lifeless tone to it which fits its resident perfectly. The room, filled with windows, tall candles burning atop dark purple crystals that match the table. Standing near an altar is a woman with a deathly pale complexion that's complimented with deep red and purple veins that run along her arms and face. Her eyes red, while the rest, including the sclerae, are black. The last notable feature on her skin is a diamond-shaped marking in the center of her forehead. Her white hair is formed into a bun with six offshoots which all have an ornament suspended from it. Donning a long black robe with red designs, mimicking her eyes. Finally, she wears a ring with an insect décor on her right index finger.

"The White Fang have all the technology they need from Merlot, which was received and delivered by me."

"Did you get what I asked?" Her voice calmly relays.

Harrier reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small vial, then sets it on the table.

"Of course I did, yet you have yet to give me what I want, Salem."

Salem turns around, finally facing her glasses-wearing accomplice.

"In time, Harrier. Not all pieces have fallen into place, not every path has come to an end."

"Straightforward as ever," Harrier huffs. "Very well, Salem. I'll be off to-"

"No. You will remain here," she commands as she approaches his seat. "First, you must answer a question." She stops beside his chair, leaning over to grasp the vial Harrier delivered. "Why… is (Y/N) Slater not dead?"

"Tsk, ask your own agents."

"You are one of my agents."

"Wrong," he states, getting out of the chair and confronting the woman. "I am someone who was promised something in return for my services. I owe you no allegiance, nor do I care for your escapade. So why not ask your little discount Maiden why she hasn't completed her task?"

"You, Adam Taurus, and that other one were sent to kill (Y/N) all that time ago. You alone should have been enough."

Harrier shrugs.

"Well, I was asked to 'lure and assist' if I remember. I did just that. I lured him there and assisted in depleting his Aura. Why did Aza Brine not kill him? Why did Merlot not kill him? Why did you not send people after him while he wandered in one of your little mazes? It seems to be a failure on your part, Salem, not mine."

The two remain in such close proximity that they can feel the other's breath flowing across their skin. Their eyes, however, are not in direct confrontation thanks to the dark shades Harrier dons. The Slater can feel a pressure coming from Salem, but he's not worried. Death means nothing to a man like him.

"Hm… then perhaps, if this boy is too difficult to kill, we should try another approach?" Salem says with a proud tone, turning from Harrier and walking back to her alter.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You will see, in due time," she says whilst ogling the vial. "I requested this concoction for a reason, after all. You're to remain here until preparations are complete."

"No," he bluntly responds. "I have something to attend to today. Once I'm finished, I'll return and stay until… whatever it is you're planning is ready."

"Very well, Harrier. I expect you back before dawn."

"I'll be back when I'm back," he quickly counters.

He grabs his cloak off the chair and lets it fall over his head, resting on his shoulders and covering his entire body. With his attire set, he heads for the door to leave this hell of a place.

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The elevator door opens behind you, but no attention is given. It's all focused on your father. You're not thinking anything in particular, just staring at a corpse that once meant the world to you.

"(Y/N), are you ready to go?"

"Hm..?"

"I've prepared the burial… you've been here for three hours," Ozpin speaks.

"Hm…"

Suddenly you feel a hand intertwine with yours. The fact you didn't hear or even perceive someone approaching you shows your lack of focus at the moment.

"I'm coming with you," Ruby whispers.

"I figured," you plainly answer, followed by a sigh. "Alright… let's go. Come here, I'll bring us all to the docks."

You place your free hand on the casket and wait until you feel Ozpin and Glynda make contact with your body. Once you feel two hands rest on your back and shoulder you _**leap**_ everyone to the docks, leaving a large patch of shadow in the room. You materialize from similar shadow right before a Bullhead that you assumed to be the one Ozpin arranged.

Ozpin's eyes gloss over the Bullhead.

"This isn't the one, (Y/N). We arranged more appropriate transportation."

Your eyes glide to the next dock where a separate, more casual airship is docked. It's larger than the Bullhead, but far smaller than the airship that brought you to Beacon. However, this one actually has some colour and designs on the hull.

"Oh, my bad. I didn't think…"

"It's quite alright, (Y/N). Glynda, can you bring the casket as we walk?"

"Of course, Professor."

Ruby tightens her grip on your hand for support. You give a little squeeze to acknowledge her. The four of you walk towards the new ship. Glynda is using her Semblance to carefully transport the casket. Some students spot your little group from a distance and are instantly curious or confused by the sight of a dead man. Others are relieved at the sight of you walking around. Last time the majority of students saw you, you were lying in the ashes of a dead Hydra. Now that you've been spotted the rumour of your awakening will spread across the school. Not that you even care at this point. Your only goal is seeing your father buried and taking the time to respect both him and your mother.

You're greeted with a cozy space inside the airship. Far better than what you're used to with Bullheads, anyway. There are more comfortable benches with padding and backrests, for one, along with a fair amount of extra leg room. Some of that legroom is taken by Jet's casket, however. You and Ruby take a seat on the right of the ship while Glynda takes some her seat on the left. Ozpin, who entered first, is speaking with the pilot about details. Your eyes never leave deter from your father's corpse. Something about all this seems strange, but you can't quite put your finger on it. It's true that your mind is… muddled at the moment, as would anyone if they were put in a similar situation, but still, something you can't quite hear. It's maddening yet ignorable.

 _Maybe it'll go away when this is done… I think I need a nap or something._

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It took some time for everything to truly be prepared. You, Ruby, Ozpin, and Glynda waited as a small team, presumably hired by Ozpin, dug up the casket of Clementine Tawny-Slater. Unlike Jet's, hers was an older casket made of wood.

"Would you like them to be together?" Ozpin whispers to you. "The casket is big enough."

"I… why ask me that?"

"You are the only… worthy Slater that could make the choice."

You stare at the wooden casket placed beside the hole it once situated in.

"To have them together… yeah… yeah, put them together. I… don't want to see it, though."

"Understandable. Glynda, would you…"

"Of course."

You turn around to face the village you once called home. You can hear the casket open, the wave of Glynda's riding crop as she carefully lifts Clementine's body out of her casket and into Jet's. Ruby, like you, turns away. She snuggles in closer, resting her head against your chest.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah… thank you, Ruby, for coming."

"Not 'Little Red'?" She jokes.

"No… not today," you smile at her. "I'm not in a joking mood, unfortunately."

"I know… it's kind of cool to see, though… that you can actually feel sad."

You chuckle.

"I've felt down before, Ruby."

"Mhm, I know… but this is different. This is… what relationships are about, right? Being there during the hard times?"

You gently place a kiss on her head then rest your cheek against her soft hair.

"Yeah… I suppose so."

You hear a casket close behind you which means they're done.

"Lower the casket," you quietly request.

Glynda follows your instructions, lifting the entire casket and setting it down in the hole. You turn around once you hear it rest in the dirt and clay beneath you. Ozpin gives the workers a discreet nodding, ordering them to fill the grave with the same dirt they dug up. Slowly but surely the dirt piles onto the clear casket. You don't bother watching as your parents are hidden away once more by soil. You keep your eyes on the gravestones that read their names. Ruby, Ozpin, and Glynda mimic your actions, all giving respect to the people that some knew and one didn't.

The sound of shovels entering and tossing dirt continues for what feels like hours. Droplets of rain drip down from the darkening clouds above – first merely informing those of its presence, then raining down hard. Ozpin allows the workers to retreat to their own transportation now that their work is done.

"We'll be waiting at the airship," Ozpin informs.

"Go on without me. I can get back to Beacon on my own."

"Very well. Ms. Rose, are you coming?"

She looks back at the Headmaster, answering him with a mere glance. Ozpin understands the message in her eyes and bows his head.

The two elders walk away, leaving you and Ruby to stand in the rain and stare at the stone.

"You're crying."

"It's just the rain," you dismiss.

"You're crying."

"You're repetitive."

"But you're still crying."

You nudge Ruby, causing her to chuckle.

"You don't have to be right all the time, you know?" You playfully say.

"I take my victories when I can," she proudly responds.

You slip your hand out of hers and wrap it around her shoulder, pulling her in close. She wraps her arm around your waist to get even closer, to increase the contact. You two hold that position minute after minute until nearly three hours pass. The rain has calmed down, and Ruby has fallen asleep as she lies against you.

"I guess my moping time is done," you whisper to not wake her. "Thank you, Ruby… I…" You look down at her sleeping face, taking in the small breaths, the quiet sounds she makes as she sleeps. "I wouldn't trade this moment for the world…"

Within thirty seconds you _**leap**_ yourself and Ruby back to Beacon, leaving shadows before the graves. From a distance, another approaches. Harrier Slater, dampened from the rain, stops in front of the graves. He's been there the whole time, watching you stand in silence with only the rain to occupy his ears. It was calming, at least.

"Here we are again, huh, brother? I watch you get buried once more because of him… because of (Y/N). Perhaps things would have gone differently if you had listened to me… heh… but that was never your style, was it? No matter how many times I offered advice you would brush it off. You even stopped training just to have a family while I…" Harrier exhales before looking towards the village. "I suppose I'm the only one that's changed."

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 _Harrier approaches the building he's visited only a handful of times. Usually when the two brothers reunite they meet in one of the four Kingdoms or happen upon each other during travels. The last time he saw his brother, Clementine was close to her due date. That was three years ago. Now the older brother stands in the village, in front of a door, waiting for someone to answer._

 _Harrier's outfit has barely changed over the years, much like Jet. A long tailcoat, dark glasses, neatly slicked hair, everything mirroring his days at Beacon. As Jet opens the door, he proves wearing similar clothing is not an oddity. He still bears his white outfit with a golden bracer, despite having a child in the home._

" _Harrier! It's been too long," Jet greets, embracing his brother._

" _Indeed," he hugs Jet back. "You look good, brother. Perhaps a little… weaker," he teases._

" _Hey, find time to train when dealing with a wife and child," Jet chuckles, inviting his brother inside. "I'm sure I could still take you on."_

 _Harrier snickers._

" _We'll have to spar sometime soon. Speaking of, is your family here?"_

 _Harrier peaks around the entrance of the house. Jet and Clementine have a modest house consisting of only a few rooms. The main room with tables, chairs, a fridge – clearly a dining area and kitchen. There are pictures neatly placed along shelves, likely places by Clementine, consisting of her, Jet, you, and even some of Harrier. He rolls his eyes at the pictures of him in his youth._

" _Take a seat. You want something to drink? Tea? Water?"_

" _Water is fine, thank you," he answers as he takes a seat._

" _Daddy! Who's dat?" A young voice shouts from down the hall._

 _Harrier peaks down the hallway and spots a very young child, about three years old, stumbling towards him._

" _(Y/N), I thought you were playing with your toys," Jet says with a caretakers voice, one Harrier's never heard before._

" _But I wanna see the… daddy… there are two daddys."_

 _Jet chuckles before taking you into his arms._

" _(Y/N), this is Uncle Harrier. Remember I told you about him?"_

" _Mmm… why are his eyes bwack?"_

" _Those are glasses, (Y/N). Let me take you back to your room. I want to talk to Uncle Harrier alone."_

" _Okay, daddy. But can we train moar?"_

" _Later, sure," Jet agrees as he brings you back to your room._

 _He sets you down, shuts the door, and returns to the kitchen._

" _Sorry about that. He's a curious one."_

" _I can see… cute kid. You're teaching him to fight?"_

 _Jet nods, grabbing a glass of water and setting it down for his brother._

" _Yeah, I figured it was best. Clementine didn't want to but I managed to convince her. She's a fighter too… kind of… he seems to enjoy it, at least."_

" _Slaters tend to be born fighters. Except you, of course. Remember your early days."_

 _Jet's eyes fall at the mention of his childhood._

" _Yes… I remember. But hey, look at me now. We're equals."_

" _Debatable. I've been training a lot and looking for new ways to improve myself. I may have found a way to improve our Semblance."_

 _Jet's brow heightens at the news._

" _Really? I've never heard of something like that before."_

" _It's a rumour so it may prove fruitless, but it intrigues me enough to pursue it."_

 _Jet taps the table as he thinks._

" _Harrier… don't you have your own wife and child on the way? Shouldn't you be with them?"_

" _Tsk, please, I take time for them. This is important, Jet. If this changes my Semblance then it could affect yours too. Aren't you interested?"_

 _Jet shrugs, taking a sip of water._

" _Kind of, but I have other things to think about. Actually, you haven't introduced me to your family. When will that happen?"_

 _Harrier shrugs._

" _Soon enough, maybe. We both have goals we must attain. Just remember that we're Huntsmen."_

 _Jet begins laughing._

" _Jeez, getting so serious," he shakes his head, a smile on his face. "I've missed that balance. It's why we were the best team."_

" _Hmph, I suppose it happens with siblings. I just hope that you don't stay on the sidelines, Jet. You can feel it too, can't you? Big things are coming."_

 _Jet chugs his water then wipes his mouth._

" _Yeah, I can't avoid it. Clementine made that clear. Don't worry, Harrier, we'll be fine. We're the immortal Slaters, after all," he jokes._

" _Mm… Immortal… I like it…"_

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Harrier's senses return after those thoughts.

"And you died… I lived… Harrier the Immortal wanders Remnant doing the bidding of Salem… what a strange twist of fate, huh?" He looks up at the raining clouds, embracing the droplets. "Perhaps things will come full circle in time… perhaps your death will have meaning, like you hoped… and your little scheme doesn't backfire."

 **Yeah, a shorter chapter. Sometimes it happens like that. I did exactly what I wanted to do with this one, though. I don't always have to have these 10,000 plus word chapters to get the point across. This, along with the next two or three, will be some calmer chapters. Just some fun stuff to pass the time before the Vytal Festival starts. Yes, Volume 3 will officially begin soon. It's gonna be a fun one, let me tell you. I've been planning it for a long time and I think you'll like what I've got in store. So, I'll see you all next time!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **If you REALLY like me you could consider supporting me on . You can make a request for any stories you want! Of course it's optional but it helps. Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: Ride The Lightning, Manuel Garcia**


	32. Chapter 32: Preparations

**Chapter 32: Preparations for the Tournament!**

Despite it being an entire week since you buried your father and reburied your mother, your mind is still muddled. It's been clear to nearly everyone that something is bothering you. Only the teachers know of the burial, while students think you're traumatized by whatever Merlot did to you. In truth, you've mostly forgotten about all of that – at least your time in captivity. Your mind is mostly focused on your father, mother, and uncle.

Suddenly you return to reality as Dr. Oobleck smacks your desk with a handful of papers.

"Mr. Slater, please pay attention.

"Oh, right… yeah, sorry," you halfheartedly respond.

Oobleck's eyes lighten a bit when he hears your tone. He speeds back to the front of the class and continues the lesson. He's made a mental note to speak with you before the day is over. Lucky for him, class is nearly complete. After a short lecture and some homework handed out, Oobleck dismisses the class. You slowly pack your thing and start heading out of the door.

"(Y/N)! I'd like you to speak with you," the teacher speaks.

You spin on your heel and turn to the professor. He stands at his desk, waiting for you to approach. You catch that silent message and meet him at his desk.

"How have you been, (Y/N)?" He starts with the casual question that so many ask.

"Fine, I guess. Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to space out, it's jus-"

"Not another word," Oobleck cuts off, raising his hand. "I'm well aware of the reason and understand. Your father was a respected man. We all mourn his loss, even to this day."

"Yeah," you weakly answer, looking away.

"You know the teachers at this prestigious academy will indeed assist you in any… difficulties you have coping."

"Because I'm Jet's son?" You counter, sharply looking at the teacher. "It seems that's all I'm known for. Jet's son, the Slater, always called that at every Academy by every person, it-"

"Young man, you are not defined by your father. It's true, you follow a… twisted legacy, both of noble and corrupt men, but you are always your own man. Every teacher and student judges you for what you have done and not who you're related to."

You huff, resting your hands on Oobleck's messy desk.

"Every student?

"Every one that matters," Oobleck nods. "You have affected people in more ways than you realize, I think. Ozpin and Glynda, the students of Beacon, even other teachers across Remnant. Your personality, your charisma, that's what makes us want to help you. It may be true that some are honouring your father's wishes to train you, but you have grown beyond that. Nobody is helping you because they're forced to. We're helping you because we want to. That… is what makes a leader."

You push back on the desk, taking a step away from the teacher.

"A leader, huh? I don't think I'm a leader… I can barely work with my partner," you snicker.

"Is that so? If I remember correctly, you were the one who lead the battle against the Hydra."

You cross your arms and snicker once again, unsure how else to respond.

"I just let everyone know how to beat it," you shake your head.

"And they followed your orders to the letter. I will not argue with you, (Y/N) Slater, but you have qualities not even your father had. People flock to you, follow you, seek support from you. You always stand before your allies, ready to protect them. But remember, a leader is not alone. As you help your friends, they will always be there to help you."

You turn around and chuckle.

"I'm no leader, Oobleck. I'm just an idiot who has good friends."

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You walk through Beacon's grounds with your hands in your pockets. Oobleck's words are still circling around in your head like Nevermores to a village.

"A leader… I'm no leader… I just make jokes and have fun… and people follow me because I'm hilarious. Damn, should have said that," you scold yourself.

From across the way, team RWBY is approaching the cafeteria doors. Ruby spots you and immediately calls out your name and waves. The rest of her team looks to your direction, but, unfortunately, you failed to hear your girlfriend. Instead, you hear something completely different.

"There he is!"

You look to the right before being instantly tackled to the ground.

"WAH!"

A small group piles on top of you, weighing on your poor, frail self. RWBY starts laughing at the show before them, despite your cries for help. The small group quickly gets off you, allowing you to get back to your feet and brush the dirt off your uniform.

"We're sorry! We just… we didn't expect to find you!" The first girl giddily says.

You quickly look at the group of six before you – all girls with varying hair colour, size, and stature, but all clearly Huntresses-in-Training.

"Find me? What do you mean? Wait…" At a second glance, you notice only one of the girls has a Beacon uniform while the others have Haven, Shade, or Atlas attire. "Who… are you?"

"We're fans!" The Atlas girl shrieks. "You're (Y/N) Slater! We've all heard about you!"

"You… have?" You blink twice, completely baffled. "I… why?"

"You're the one who fought off White Fang!"

"And the one who killed the Mutated Grimm!"

"Even the giant Hydra!"

"And beat Pyrrha Nikos!"

You're overwhelmed by the sudden attention you're getting from these new, strange girls.

"I mean… that's not really a-"

"Hey, I just let our friends know he's here!"

"Your… friends?" Your eyes widen when you see another group burst out of the cafeteria.

"AAH!" The four girls of RWBY screech as they're knocked over like dominos.

A whole crowd surrounds you at this point, all shouting questions or flattering remarks while you stand dumbfounded in the middle. Admittedly, this does lighten your once gloomy mood, if only because the situation is so outrageous. So, in true Slater fashion, you decide to go along with it.

"I mean… I am pretty cool, I gotta say," you jokingly stroke your ego.

"I don't think he's wearing the jacket."

"Yeah, they say you had one."

"Well, it was tattered during the battle against the Hydra," you confidently say, eyes closed and smile wide.

"Wow, so cool."

"You've fought so many new Grimm!"

"He's as strong as he looks!"

RWBY gets to their feet, all annoyed that they were tossed to the ground like playthings by random students. However, their anger is quickly subsided when they witness the dozens of students now surrounding you.

"Well… he's gotten popular," Blake points out the obvious.

"They're all girls too," Weiss observes.

"Why… hey, he's not allowed to be with so many other girls!" Ruby pouts.

"Don't worry, I don't think he's doing anything like that. Though… it's funny to see you jealous, little sis."

"Wha- I'm not jealous! He's just my boyfriend," she crosses her arms and looks away. "Yang, am I jealous?"

"You're jealous," the three girls answer.

Ruby puffs her cheeks at her team, flustered at their eagerness to gang up on her.

"Show us your sword!"

"Yeah show us!

"Show us! Show us!" They all start chanting.

"Hehe… I wish Dylan were here. I could make a joke about all these girls wanting to- eh, whatever. Still funny to me."

You raise your hand to the air, eliciting silence from the crowd. In seconds, your blade bursts through a far door and joins with your hand. You slowly wrap your fingers around it, drawing out the little show you have going. You twirl the sword through your fingers, swaying it along both sides of your body. In a swift flash, you unsheathe the blade for the crowd, continuing to twirl both the blade and the sheath around your body. The crowd ogles this display which, admittedly, does make you a bit happy, despite everything that's happened.

This is evident to the members of RWBY.

"It's nice to see a smile on his face," Weiss quietly says.

Weiss has been keeping an eye on you just as much as Ruby. Her torturous feelings are still present within her, if buried under thirty layers of Weissiness. Your smile is something that always lightens her day, similar to how you cheer up Ruby and considering you've been absent for nearly a week… well, she's just happy at this spectacle.

"Yeah… he's been taking his dad's burial harder than I thought," Blake remarks.

"You guys haven't told him I told you, right?" Ruby looks to her friends.

The three girls shake their heads in response.

"You better be careful, sis. He might get taken away by all the girls."

"Eh? What!" Ruby shrieks, her cheeks heating up.

Your blade is sheathed once more as you hold it by your hip. You're listening to everyone's stories, taking pictures, and even signing weapons. Of course, some of the girls get… closer than you'd like, but it's just for a picture so you think nothing of it. That is until Ruby speeds through the crowd and clings to your arm. The crowd somewhat backs off at the sudden appearance of the young student.

"Oh, heya, Little Red. What's, aaah, what's up?" You lift your arm up to she's hanging off it like an animal.

"I'm… here to… remind you that we're all eating at the table like you promised?" She lies, looking up at you, upside down with her hair all flowing down.

You chuckle at the odd sight.

"Okay, then. We'll go. Um… thank you all for, uh… something," you rub your hilt on your leg. "And… I'll see you all around. If you're participating in the Vytal Festival I hope to see you there!"

In an instant, you _**step**_ beside the remaining members of RWBY. The three awkwardly look at the clinging Ruby.

"Huh… somehow I'm not surprised," Yang cocks her head to the side.

"Hey, girls. I actually haven't talked to you in a while. Sorry about that," you shrug.

"It's no problem. We assumed something was on your mind and you'd deal with it," Weiss affirms.

"Yeah, thanks for the confidence, Weiss. No, all of you. So, let's get something to eat. I'm starved. Is Dylan in there, or..?"

Blake snickers.

"Well…"

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Once again, Dylan Brine is surrounded by fellow students who fawn over the Faunus.

"You're the cooler one!"

"I love your hair!"

"Make me wet!"

"Okay, who's saying that?" Dylan finally shouts, breaking his neutral look.

The crowd parts way for a young Faunus girl with sparkling blue hair, matching blue eyes, pale skin, and a short stature. The defining feature is the gills on her neck.

"Me! I… I'm Anut War… I'm your biggest fan," the young girl says with the most amount of confidence she can spur.

Dylan sighs and pinches his nose when he sees the young woman.

"She meant water… damn Slater, making me think- ah, whatever," he shakes his head. "Alright, Anut, here you go," he waves his hand, surrounding the small girl with water.

She happily cheers as she embraces the refreshing moisture of Dylan's Semblance, despite her uniform being somewhat ruined. Moments later the door opens and you, along with team RWBY, enter the cafeteria. Some of the students around Dylan spot you and freak out.

"That's Slater!"

In a rush of screams and footsteps, a whole other crowd bulldozes you. This time RWBY moves out of the way, slipping around the crowd and heading to Dylan's table. Before they get there, you appear out of the shadows, breathing heavily.

"When did all this happen?" You moan to yourself.

"Since the Hydra was defeated. I've been dealing with it all week," Dylan explains.

You both look to Anut, who's still playing in the water.

"I like you more, Dylan. He can't make me wet like you."

A laugh desperately tries to escape your lips, making your cheeks puff out.

"Don't… say… a word," Dylan sharply threatens.

"No, no, I won't say anything," you raise your hands. "Please, proceed with the wetification of this young lady.

"Slater, I swear to god…"

"No, no, I would never want to get in the way. Look at how happy you're making her," you gesture to the woman.

"He is making me happy," she nods her head.

Dylan facepalms then drags his hand down, pulling on the skin.

"I preferred the melancholy Slater."

You sit and slide up beside your partner.

"No, you didn't."

RWBY takes a seat around the table – Weiss and Yang take a seat opposite to you and Ruby, Dylan takes a seat beside you and Blake beside him.

"I think your entourage is realizing you're not there," Weiss points out.

You shrug.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll deal with it. Hopefully not for a week, though," you snicker, eyeing your friend.

"It's annoying…" Dylan responds, then he looks over to Anut who seems slightly offended. "Not you, Anut. You're fine."

"Yay!"

"Man, there are so many students. I hadn't even noticed all these new guys and gals," you comment, looking around the room.

"Well, anyone who hasn't come would be tardy. The Tournament starts soon."

"Yeah, that's gonna be awesome. Seeing a whole bunch of fights and getting to test ourselves against other schools. Either way, I know we're coming out on top," you boldly claim.

"No way! Team RWBY can't be beat!" Ruby argues, pushing against your side.

"If I remember correctly, who beat who when we fought?"

"We beat you!"

"No, you didn't! I wasn't trying to beat you and Ozpin showed up!"

"You were on your last legs!"

"I was planning things! Plus I'm stronger now!"

"So are we!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Everyone else watches as you and Ruby have a friendly argument. Your heads are pushing against each other while you both have a competitive smile on your faces.

"Hey! He's over there!"

You both look over to the crowd who've got you in their sights.

"Ah, Christ. I'll keep these guys away from you. We'll chat later," you say to everyone before _**stepping**_ to the door. "Alright, come outside then! Don't wanna disturb th- HEY!" The crowd rams into you, dragging you out the door in a sadistic fashion.

Your friends watch and laugh at the spectacle before them, but enjoy the peace and quiet when everyone leaves.

"Well, now it's his problem… Anut, you can sit down. You don't have to stand there," Dylan offers.

"Okay!" The childish girl cheers before taking your previous seat.

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After what feels like hours, you finally free yourself from the clutches of your newfound fans. It's still a mystery how you became so popular so quickly. True, you were well known in Beacon before but this is something else entirely. Either way, you can follow-through with a certain plan you concocted. The first step is meeting your good friend Dior in the library. From what you've heard, he's spent most of this time there reading and tinkering with Calamity.

You head to the back of the library where Dior asked you to meet. When he comes in view, he's focused on something that isn't his weapon. So focused that he doesn't notice you take a seat and watch him for a minute.

"So, what's that?" You inquire.

Dior jumps at the sound of a voice, nearly falling off his chair and knocking over his tools.

"Oh, (Y/N), I didn't see you, sorry. Actually, I'm glad to see you now. How are you after…"

"The burial? Fine, I guess. Something about today has cheered me up. Guess even I need a little nudge from friends every once in a while," you chuckle. "Anyway, how's it coming along? Is this it?" You ask, looking at the small box Dior's working on.

Like most things he makes, this shoebox-sized container is coloured gold with beautiful, if unnecessary, designs. It could be considered an antique from the craftsmanship alone. Dior tends to go a little overboard when designing new tech, both with its functionality and look. The blonde man looks down at his box.

"I think so. I made sure to follow your instructions to the letter and added one or two things. I have to say, this surprised me."

"What? That I want to train more?"

"Well, this seems a little extreme, even for you," Dior admits, tapping the table. "I made sure to add some safety protocols-"

"Which can be turned off?" You raise a brow.

"Yes," Dior sighs. "They can be turned off. Just remember that there are three settings! Think of it as easy, normal, and hard."

You pat his arm, smiling.

"I appreciate the thought, but I won't get stronger if someone's holding my hand. This will help me improve in all the ways I need."

"Well, if used correctly it could make anyone stronger," Dior states as he stares at his creation. "Almost… makes me want to try it myself."

You lean back in your chair, lift your leg and resting your heel on the other's knee.

"Really? Are you… still bummed out about Merlot's place?" Dior's quick glance answers your question. "Dior, you're fine. You have a whole team to back you up. You don't have to beat everything on your own."

Dior snickers.

"Funny hearing that from you."

You rub the back of your head and smile.

"Yeah, I guess so. But I'm not as smart as you are, so… meh," you shrug. "So can I take it?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's all ready," he nods, pushing the box along the table towards you. "It can shrink too," he holds his hand up to imitate its shrunken size. "And I made sure to add a clip so you can store it on your belt."

"You're the best," you wink as you swipe the box up, shrink it, and hitch it to your belt. "Well, I have one more stop. We'll talk later, alright, Dior?"

"Of course. Take care of yourself."

"I never do," you joke before _**leaping**_ away.

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You appear in Ozpin's office, uninvited as always. Ozpin is alone, staring out the window at the various students.

"Ah, (Y/N). A pleasure to see you," he greets as he turns to face you. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Yeah, actually…" You scratch your neck and approach the Headmaster. "I have to ask a favour from you… well, more as a teacher."

"Oh?" Ozpin raises his brow. "You've piqued my curiosity. How can I help?"

"I'd like to stop going to class… at least until the Vytal Festival is over."

"Hm…" Ozpin's fingers dance along his cane as he contemplates your words. "That's an odd request. I assume you have ample reasoning for this?"

He takes a seat in his chair and beckons you to sit across from him. You join him, resting your hands on his desk.

"I want to try a new training routine but, well, I kinda wanna dedicate everything to it. Nonstop training, you know?"

Ozpin places his hand on his chin as he thinks.

"This is a very bold request. You are a student and are graded as such. It would be unfair to the other students if you were allowed some extra training."

"Please, Ozpin. I need to do this. Here," you rummage through your pocket until you find a neatly folded piece of paper. "This is my plan. My friend Dior made a device that can help me with it."

You slide the paper across the table to Ozpin, who grabs it and gently unfolds the schedule. He takes a moment to read it, genuinely surprised at some of the goals and methods to achieve said goals. This is a training regimen beyond anything he's seen a student come up with before.

"This is… interesting… it seems you're focused on your speed more than your strength," he notes.

"Yeah… I don't want to rely on my Semblance for speed. It didn't work against you, clearly," you chuckle. "But I also think increasing my speed could balance well with my Semblance. If I can attack and react faster… well, I think it'll just make me a better fighter," you smile.

"I see… well…" Ozpin struggles to find a decision.

He's well aware of the dangers ahead and the peril you're in, both with Harrier and Salem's crew. Considering everything, you becoming stronger is the best option. With a routine like this, it's possible you'll achieve more progress than you have over the past few years. Ozpin puts the paper on the desk and steps out of his chair, looking back to the window. There are many trials coming for not only you, but every person at Beacon Academy. Becoming stronger is the reason these Academies were formed, and here you are asking to go beyond what is normal… admittedly, he likes that. He closes his eyes and smiles. His decision has been made.

"Very well. I will allow this."

"Really?" You burst out of your chair with a giant smile on your face.

"I am. You seem committed to this routine and I'm curious to see how that'll go. But you must log every hour you train and submit it at the end of each week."

"Sure, whatever you want!" You excitedly respond.

"Then it's decided. I'll inform the teachers. Don't make me regret this."

"You won't, I swear!"

"Then I suggest you start right away."

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After a trip to your dorm to change into some casual clothes, you find a small, open field to set up your first training session. Everyone from Beacon is in class so you should be safe here. Any students from the other Kingdoms wouldn't venture to this part of Beacon anyway. You unclip the box from your belt and let it expand in your hand.

"Alright, Dior, let's see how this goes," you set the box down and take a few steps back. "Initiate Final Program!" You speak aloud.

 _I know I'm not ready for this yet, but I want to see how far I have to go._

The box opens and shoots out various rods all over the area, over two dozen. The second set of rods are launched farther, creating a barrier that nothing can break through. The barrier stretches high in the sky, passing Ozpin's tower easily. It would be an eyesore if Dior didn't install an optional camouflage feature. Within the cylinder, a storm cloud forms above you. Lightning flows through the clouds and occasionally strikes the rods.

 _Lightning faster than lightning… you're a miracle worker, Dior. Let's see if I can dodge and tag your super lightning. If not, I'll start with the not actually lightning… lightning… meh, it was my idea._

The electricity travels between all the rods placed around. Some just take bolts of lightning which you're going to try and cut through. That's meant to test and improve your reaction time and attack speed. The others are meant to redirect lightning at you, thanks to a small watch you have to put on. That's meant to also improve reaction time plus movement speed. It's a simple and effective training regimen that you hope will push you to new heights.

The sounds of crackling lightning fills your ears from every direction. You're almost overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to keep track of: finding lightning that's striking the rods and also dodging the ones attempting to strike you. Your senses are on full blast, your eyes are constantly moving, you're consistently turning yourself around.

 _I gotta rely on all my senses for this... and no semblance…_

You unsheathe your blade and grip it tightly. Rain subsequently pours down from the cloud.

"Coulda told me that, Dior," you mumble.

The rain quickly dampens your clothes, making your movements somewhat sluggish. Your hair falls flat, droplets falling from the tips onto the soaked grass below. And finally, you move.

You hear a spout come from the left of you. You immediately try to twirl over it, but the bolt tags your leg, sending you spiraling in another direction and crashing to the ground.

"Okay… that- gah!" Your body is stricken by the fierce lightning. Before you can do anything else another bolt hits your back, forcing you to slam face first into the barrier. You slowly slide down, but not before being hit by another strikes your shoulder. You fall to the ground, landing on your back, and stare up at the grey clouds. "Yeah… that's about right…"

You slowly get off the ground and brush off your clothes. You soon hear lightning strike on some of the outer poles, meaning you've completely missed some of the ones you're meant to attack. You burst off your leg and rush forward, going for a rod you guess lightning will go for. You jump off and cut through the air, hitting nothing at all. You spin around and slide to a halt, looking around for another indication of a lightning strike. However, one of the rods beside you fires lightning at your chest, pushing you back onto the ground. You dig your hand deep into the ground and throw yourself forward at the rod. This process makes you hover over another one, which was chosen by the lightning instead. You're directly hit, slamming you into the pole. It digs into your stomach, almost ripping the random shirt you've brought.

From there, you're hit again from the side, and again and again and again. You're panting on the ground, holding your chest as you halfheartedly chuckle.

"Guess this is a really shocking revelation for me, hehe… GAH!" A bolt smashes your back, forcing your face into the dirt. "Guess the lightning doesn't wanna deal with my jokes either," you weakly chuckle. "Program end!"

The rods are all suctioned back into the box while the storm above dies down. You get to your feet and exhale.

"Alright, so clearly my speed and reaction time needs some work. I don't even think I've faced someone that fast before, so if this goes right I might be unstoppable. More time to taunt," you snicker. "Alright, let's start with the basics. Dior should have left an outfit for me," you lean over the box and rummage for a set of clothes. "Ah, here we go!"

You pull out a black and purple jumpsuit, holding it up in front of you.

"Not… very fashionable… Am I supposed to wear this all the time? Ugh…" You shiver.

You swiftly take off all your clothes, including boxers, and slip your legs into the suit. While dragging it up, your hands graze over the scars on your back. You pause for a moment as flashes of that night make themselves prominent in your mind. You squeeze the suit and slip it completely on. If anything, that's encouragement to get stronger… to honour their deaths. You won't bury anyone else like you did them.

With the suit on, you grab your scroll and click through the menus.

"Alright, just gotta link it to my scroll… heh," you shake your head. "Gravity Dust-laced clothing. Should be fun."

Once you're all settled you make sure to connect the suit with your scroll, as per Dior's instructions. Once connected, you're given the option to turn it on.

"Only one setting, right? I don't see an option… hm… alright, let's see how effective your-" The moment you activate it, your body slams right into the ground. "OH MY GOD!" The amount of weight suddenly put on your body absolutely overwhelms you. "I've… never felt this… much pressure… in my life…" You barely manage to say. "Okay… first…" You let out a few coughs. "First… let's get to my feet. Alright… just push… up…"

Your arms drag along the ground, flattening the grass. You can barely even move your arms to position yourself to push up. Your muscles are shaking, your face going red.

"So much… for training… I… can't even… get up… holy hell, Dior…"

You use every ounce of strength in your body but you just can't get yourself up. In truth, it reminds you of past training sessions – throwing you into a situation you're not ready for and forcing you to push through. That's happened one too many times in your seventeen years, but since you're still here it means you've overcome every single obstacle… and you'll push past this one.

"Well, since I didn't immediately die… I should be… able to adapt…" You push against the ground once more but to no avail.

This failure doesn't stop you. Again and again, you give it your all to push up. You won't be kept down by this thing.

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Dylan approaches the dorms, opening the door for some students behind him. He spots RWBY in the distance, so he holds the door for them.

"Thanks, Dylan," Yang winks, passing him.

"Hey, where's (Y/N)? Don't you have class together?" Ruby inquires.

Dylan enters the building after the girls and shrugs.

"He never came to class. I have no idea where he is."

"I'm surprised you're not used to it yet," Weiss remarks.

"Don't lie, Weiss. If (Y/N) was your boyfriend you'd have a tracker on him."

"I-I would not! Please, I would never date someone as irresponsible as him," Weiss crosses her arms and looks away.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby pouts, stomping in front of Weiss.

"And that's my exit. Have a good evening, girls," Dylan waves at the team before heading off to his own dorm.

"Stay safe," Blake waves back.

"Dylan! Ladies!" A booming voice shouts from the door. Both Dylan and RWBY look back down the hall, seeing Kin with his arms wide and his smile wider. "I'm glad I caught you! I've a grand present for each of you!"

"Grander than his voice?" Yang whispers, eliciting giggles from the others.

Kin stops in front of the ground with six tickets in hand. He hands two to Dylan and four to RWBY.

"I said I wanted to bring us all out, and I have! Well, prepared, anyway, haha!"

The five read the details of the tickets.

"Wait, this is for Illium's! This is the biggest club in Vale!" Yang speaks with excitement.

"As astute as you are beautiful! Indeed, I want to take you all out for some child-friendly drinks and dance! I believe there is no better way to bond than something like this… besides fighting, of course!" He cheers.

"Sounds… interesting," Blake rubs her cheek. "Could be better than when Yang took us to a club."

"Hey!"

"Please, think on it. It's for this weekend. I would love to become friends with you all, especially you, Ruby! I'd like to see how you tamed the leviathan known as (Y/N) Slater! Speaking of my dear friend, where is he?"

Everyone's body language quickly tells Kin that they're unaware of your location.

"I see, well, Dylan Brine, I beg you to deliver the news to him! I'd like to catch up with him once more!"

"I'm sure he'd enjoy that as well. Nonetheless, I have homework to do. I'll speak with you all another time. I'll let you know if (Y/N) returns to the dorm, Ruby."

"Thanks, Dylan. Have fun!" She waves.

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You did not return that night. Too stubborn to give up, you've been working with this intense weight all night. There were times you wanted to give up, to turn off the suit or leap out of there. But your training mindset is different from your casual one. The goal of sleeping in your bed, the goal of eating a cooked steak, these things drove you to push past everything and… still, fail. The sun is rising on Beacon Academy and you're still on the grass. Granted, you managed to lift yourself to your hands and knees. Some would say that's not progress, but considering the immense handicap you have, you'd say it's a hell of a lot better than before.

Your arms and legs are shaking from the strain of this exercise, but you haven't faltered yet.

"Okay… okay… one giant push… that's all I need… get to your feet, (Y/N), get to your feet…"

With a strained shout, you push yourself against the earth to stand victorious or fall flat on your face again. Thankfully the latter doesn't happen… but neither does the former. You fall back to your knees, barely keeping yourself at that point.

"Come on, (Y/N)…"

" _You always stand before your allies, ready to protect them."_

Oobleck's words echo in your mind, stirring your resolve.

"I… have to stand in front of everyone… like my dad did for me… I… have to… stand…" You attempt to stand up again, but this time your legs manage to fully extend if a tad wobbly. "Haha… haha… hahahahaha, suck it, world!" You victoriously cheer. "Now… hehe… I'm hungry… Lets just…" You put everything you have into lifting your leg and stepping, but the best you can do is drag your shoe across the grass. "Good enough."

To make sure you move all your muscles, you dramatically walk with all your body, throwing your arms front and back with each step… if you could really even move. You're practically the definition of sluggish right now. It takes you about ten minutes of constant struggling and deep, paced breaths to leave the training area. Once you break through the camouflage you see Ozpin standing before you with a plate of food in his hand. Unfortunately, it's not a steak. It's what one would consider a "balanced breakfast."

"Training going well?" He politely asks.

Ozpin instantly notices your shaking body, indicating massive strain. He also notices the suit underneath your regular clothes.

"You know… just… getting into it…"

"You seem to be carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders. Why not stop for some food?" He slickly throws a joke in there, but still hands over the plate.

"I was… just going for that. Thanks…"

You shakily grab the plate he's made and start eating.

"I see you've taken this place for your own. Have you tested your abilities, yet?"

"Yeah… I couldn't… dodge the lightning… hell, I couldn't even… react to it…"

"I thought not," he responds while you take a bite. "Are you going to be remaining in that suit?"

"All the time… yeah… I want to… get used to this weight…"

"Hm… that's rather bold. I'm curious to see how your training will go. Make sure to stay rested and fed. Your body won't grow if you ignore those things."

"Yeah, don't worry," you smile. "I'll, uh… I'll make sure to… keep up with it…"

"Excellent. Well, I'll leave you to your training. Good luck, (Y/N)."

Ozpin spins on his heel and calmly walks away from you. You quickly fall to your knees and start gouging the meal… as fast as you can with your massive handicap, of course.

 **Yes, another short chapter, I know. It's not my fault. I always say I write until I feel the chapter has completed its purpose. Sometimes that's longer, sometimes that's shorter. I remember I said there was two chapters until Volume 3 officially starts, but it might be four or so. It depends on how things work out. Anyway, there's a big announcement in this chapter!**

 **OC CONTEST!**

 **Yes, it's finally here! I mentioned this a while ago, I think, and I'm happy to finally bring it to you guys. To thank you all for your constant support, I want to give you guys the opportunity to have your OC in the story! Now, there are a few rules and such which I'll be going through now. Of course, the chosen OC's will have their creators credited.**

 **Requirements and Conditions!**

 **So this is pretty straightforward. If you want to submit your OC I need a character biography. Name, age, race, appearance, weapon, and backstory. Those are the basics, but if you have more then send it too. Now, there's something very important I have to say. If you submit your OC, you're also allowing me to change them however I wish to fit the story. That's just the way it has to be. Honestly, I very much doubt I'd change anything other than the backstory (if that conflicted with anything). I just want to make sure you're all aware of that!**

 **How to Enter?**

 **It's simple, but I feel its different for every website. If you have drawings, pictures, whatever for your OC then I would rather you send those and the bio through Twitter. If you don't have Twitter then get in contact with me and we'll figure it out. If you don't any pictures and its just a regular bio then follow the instructions based on what website you're on.**

 **Fanfiction: I would prefer you send the details through a PM. If you're a guest on the site, leaving it in the review section is perfectly fine.**

 **Wattpad: I absolutely hate Wattpad's PM system. So please leave your OC bios here – Submissions.**

 **Quotev: PMs are preferred but it doesn't really matter.**

 **AO3: Considering there isn't a PM system then you can just leave it in the comments.**

 **That's about everything! If you have any more questions feel free to ask me! I'm really excited to see what OCs you guys come up with! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you next time!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

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 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: Ride The Lightning, Manuel Garcia**


	33. Chapter 33: The Bonds We Forge

**Chapter 33: The Bonds We Forge**

It's been three days since you started your training. Your body has somewhat adapted to the increased weight, at least to the point of basic movement. You can walk, if a little awkwardly, but it's still progress. This has allowed you to start doing some basic training both with your body and your blade. Swinging Crimson Blaze is quite the challenge in this state, but it's also somewhat interesting to feel like a child swinging a wooden sword after you've been practically a master with the blade for years. Barely being able to swing the blade with proper form is frustrating yet refreshing.

At the moment, you're pushing yourself a little further than usual. You're on the ground doing pushups. A basic exercise, sure, but not when you're nearly five times your normal weight. Your body is kept cool thanks to Dior's genius, but your face is beet red with sweat dripping down your cheeks, chin, and nose. Of course, your face is the only place that isn't regulated by the suit, so it's getting the worst of it all. Still, you persist in your exercise no matter how tired you get.

"Fifty… seven!" You exhale, pushing up once more.

You hold yourself for a few moments before slowly lowering yourself down and push up once more.

"Fifty… eight…" You immediately collapse and start panting. "Okay… I'm done… my muscles want to crawl out and beat me to death," you whine. "Man… at least this is a workout. I already feel myself getting stronger… even just a bit." You shakily get to your feet, nearly falling over. "Okay… okay… I'm a super strong boy who can deal with weight… no I can't," you fall flat on your face, embracing the cool touch of grass. "Ah… this is where I belong."

You take a second to rest and let your body recover, if only for a moment. You've been training nearly nonstop for what feels like weeks, despite not even being one.

"Maybe… I should give it a break… wait…" You slowly grab your scroll and check the time. "Sparring is soon… maybe some actual combat would… give me some things to improve on…" You get to your feet and slowly stretch your legs out. "Okay… I'll just **_leap_** there. I don't want to take an hour," you laugh to yourself.

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"Okay, everyone, it's time for some training. Is there anyone who'd like to-"

Because of the increased weight, your teleportation is a little thrown off. You appear above the fighting stage and drop right on your back. You cough the moment you hit the floor, indenting the stage ever so slightly.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"

Glynda sighs when she sees you screaming on the floor.

"(Y/N), could you please not interrupt our class. You're undergoing special training."

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screams, waving to you.

"Heya… Little Red," you lazily wave back. "And Ms. Goodwitch, I'd like to… participate. Test my training."

Ozpin has told Glynda, along with the other teachers, what you're plan is and how you're achieving said goal. She knows, despite not being the most mature student around, you're far more coordinated when it comes to your Semblance than that. Clearly, you're still wearing the training suit Ozpin spoke of. Which also means you plan on battling with that handicap. With all this in mind, it becomes clear to the teacher why you've arrived.

"Very well. You can start. You'll be paired with…" Glynda checks her scroll for the past matches. "Ms. Xiao Long."

"Yeah!" Yang cheers from the sidelines. "Get ready for a butt-kicking, (Y/N)."

You roll onto your stomach and proceed to stand from there.

"Yeah… probably…" You whisper.

"Students, please change and be ready to battle."

Everyone heads to the change rooms, but Ruby approaches you instead.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in three days! I was worried," she relays whilst approaching you.

"Yeah… I've been a little busy," you smile. "Tell you what, we'll have a night for just the two of us. Sound good?"

"Yeah! Oh! I know!" She happily jumps. "Your friend invited us all out! Yang didn't want me to go but I managed to convince her," she deviously says, rubbing her hands together. "It's to Illium's!"

"Illium's? It was Kin, wasn't it? He loves places like that."

"Yeah, the tall, loud one. He's really nice."

"That he is."

"Ms. Rose!" Glynda shouts. "Get changed, please."

"Okay!" She waves to the teacher, then looks back to you. "I… um…" She pokes her fingers together, seemingly unsure of something. You raise your brow, about the only thing that's been easy these past few days. She quickly leans up and kisses you, then bolts to the change room.

"She's a strange one," you shake your head. "Then again, I'm not so cut-and-dry either."

You slowly make your way to the other side of the fighting stage. Glynda can clearly see something is weighing you down, and not metaphorically.

"Do you plan to fight like that?" She speaks out.

"Yeah. I don't really plan to win this, hehe," go to rub your neck but it takes too long to reach, so you let it fall to your side once more. "Not used to this yet. So… you know, don't grade me or anything," you snicker.

"Of course. I'll admit, I'm curious to see how this will turn out."

"Hehe, you know its good when I have the illustrious Ms. Goodwitch interested," you say with a cocky smile.

Glynda rolls her eyes at your ridiculous comment.

"Just don't get hurt."

"Don't worry. I have a lot of Aura, remember?" You snarkily answer.

You patiently wait for the entire class, mostly Yang, to return. Yang stretches her arms as she approaches you, a smile on her face.

"This is my time to vent my frustrations about Ruby having a boyfriend."

"You're… you're joking, right?" You nervously chuckle.

"Whatever makes this easier for you," she smirks, raising her fists. "Just remember, you're the one who's skipped out on our jogging sessions. We haven't been able to compete lately, so I might be a little more aggressive," she says with twisted pleasure.

"Oh… oh, great…"

You shakily raise your fists and prepare for battle. Yang lowers her hands and cocks her head.

"No sword?"

"Nah, this'll help me more."

"Alright," she shrugs. "Let's get going."

"Hey, Weiss," Ruby leans closer to her teammate. "Does (Y/N) look… um…"

"Strained?"

"Yeah! Strained… I was gonna say that…"

"Mhm, well, yes, I agree. Something's different about him. He doesn't seem as relaxed as he normally is. How atypical of him."

"How… what?"

"Strange."

"Then why not say so?" Ruby whines.

"It's not my fault you have a limited vocabulary."

"Begin!" Glynda announces.

Yang fires her weapons behind her, bursting at you as she normally does with any opponent. The problem is you're nowhere near the speed to effectively dodge her. Instead, you raise your arms as fast as you can to block her attack. Only one hand manages to get high enough, but the force of Yang's punch hits you hard. Your saving grace is the sheer weight of the outfit makes you barely slide across the ground. Unfortunately, you're still within striking range. She throws some powerful punches, shooting with each attack. You can't keep up with Yang's natural speed, so every hit connects. She jumps, spins and kicks you away, then fires her gauntlets to launch herself at you again. She spins herself a few times, slamming your head further down with each punch, then she pushes off your head and lands behind you, fires her gauntlets forward, spins, and elbows your side.

"He's not even fighting back…" Jaune remarks.

"Hey! Stop beating him up!" Ruby protests!

"You'd rather your sister be beaten?" Weiss counters.

Ruby stops for a moment to think on Weiss' words.

"Kick his butt, sis!"

"Come on!" You shout back, desperately trying to defend yourself.

The entire class shares the same inquiry on your fighting state. You, on the other hand, are taking a ripe beating from Yang. You slide across the ground and fall to one knee, panting.

"Man… it's not even her attacks that're doing me in… I… can barely move… my body feels even more restricted when fighting…" You look to your hand as you open and close it. "I never noticed how tense I can get… how heavier I feel in battle…" You slowly get to your feet and gaze at Yang, who's waiting for you to get back up.

"Are you even trying?" She leans on her hip.

"Oh, more than you know," you chuckle, pushing yourself to your feet. "Well, you win, Yang. I forfeit," you say, turning to Glynda.

"Very well. Yang Xiao Long is the winner."

"What?" Yang shouts. "No! That's not fair!"

"I can't beat you right now, Yang. We'll have a rematch soon."

Yang crosses her arms, still showing signs of disappointment.

"Fine…"

"Hehe… I'll make up for it, Yang. I'll make you sweat next time," you wink.

"Hmph," she snickers. "Don't make a promise you can't keep, (Y/N)," she smirks.

"Yang! Stop flirting with (Y/N)!" Ruby screams from the sidelines.

"And on that note, I'm gone. See ya, Little Red. I'll visit you soon!" You say before **_leaping_** away.

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"Come on… another round…" You huff and puff, leaning over. "Okay, let's go!" You straighten up and slide back into your fighting stance.

You throw a punch one hand at a time, trying to do it as fast and precise as possible. After twenty punches, you start throwing kicks at various heights. This is the worst part of your regiment since your legs are literally dying at the moment. After a dozen kicks, you simply collapse and look to the sky.

"I… I'm done for the day… it's dark, I'm tired, I'm alone, I'm about to die, my god… someone come kill me… actually, no!" You stop talking and start chuckling. "Who am I even talking too. I'm gonna become a hermit at this point. Lose communication skills, Ruby will break-up with me… huh… I should go back to my dorm now," you end with a laugh.

You get to your feet, legs shakier than normal, and start walking back to your dorm. The training area all returns to the box before you grab it and attach it to your belt. Like always, you end your training at night. It's almost two in the morning so nearly every student should be sleeping or inside their dorms. This makes it easy for you to return to your room without drawing attention to your fatigued self. After a ten minute walk to your dormitory, which would normally only take one or two, you enter the building and are met with an odd group. Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, and another girl are leaving the building.

"Oh, (Y/N)," Cinder says with surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here, and this late."

Emerald and Mercury stand diagonal to Cinder while the third girl tries her best to hide away from you.

"Yeah… what're you three doing here? Isn't your room in another building entirely?"

"We were with a new friend, got caught up chatting. I'm sure you know how it is," Cinder playfully explains.

You attempt to shrug but your tired muscles won't allow it. You wince for a moment in response to the failure, but play it off like its nothing.

"I guess. Is that your final teammate?" You lean on your right leg to take a peak. "I don't think I've met her."

With a better view, you see the girl's entire appearance. Pale skin with emerald eyes that remind you of Pyrrha's. Her hair is black with a few lighter spots here and there, tied up in a twin-tailed styles with two white bows. Her outfit is almost entirely black, that being her sleeveless blouse with white frills on the chest and collar, black armbands and a knee length skirt. She looks at you curiously but doesn't say a word. You pass Cinder and lean over, getting closer due to her small stature.

"Huh… you're kind of adorable. Guess I'm meeting more people like that," you say before smiling wide.

She smiles back, quickly looking away so you don't discover who she really is. You already made the connection of her so-called "adorable" nature, but thankfully you didn't put two and two together.

"Anyway, I'm really tired so I'll let you all go. I can't wait to see you fight in the festival!"

"You're… battling? I thought you didn't have a full team?" Cinder inquires.

"Yeah, but I managed to convince Ozpin. I'm a charmer when I want to be."

"Good to know," she says, looking away and smiling.

"Have a good night, (Y/N)," Emerald says, waving to you.

"Right, sleep well! Nice to meet you… adorable girl," you wave whilst walking away.

Cinder's smile grows wider.

"Good to know."

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"Why can't this place have a goddamn elevator," you huff as you approach your room. "My legs literally want to run away from me."

You swipe your scroll, open the door, and fall flat on your face.

"Aaah… such a homey feeling."

"Nice of you to drop by," Dylan looks over his book to your collapsed state.

"Honey… did you make me something for working so hard?"

"Considering how little you come home, I should consider a divorce," he calmly retorts.

"Hehe… hehehehe… you actually went along with it."

Dylan sets his book on his lap, giving you his full attention.

"Where have you been, anyway? And get off the floor," he shakes his head as pushes off the bed to help you. He grabs your arm and attempts to lift you, but he simply can't. "What the..?" He tugs harder, barely moving you. "Slater… what's wrong with you?"

"Hehe… training."

He releases your hand which allows you to get to your feet with Dylan's assistance. You roll up your sleeve and reveal the suit.

"Those weren't just gloves?"

"No," you shake your head. "It's a Gravity Dust-laced suit Dior made for me. I've been trying a new training regimen to really get ahead."

"Hm… that explains your absences… that also explains why RWBY was so confused," he places a hand on his chin. "I heard you got quite a thrashing from Yang. It makes sense now."

"Mhm, I could barely fight back. Hell, I can barely walk anymore. I need a nice nap."

"How fun. I won't have to deal with you much. Here, I'll help you to your bed."

Dylan slips under your arm and helps you get to your bed. He lays you down and takes a few steps back.

"Slater… how are you walking around with that much weight?"

"I'm getting used to it. I've done weighted training before so I have a little experience, but… nothing like this. As I said, movement has been pretty limited but I think I'll get the hang of it. Probably not by the Vytal Festival, though."

"Seems you're trying to leave the rest of us behind," Dylan remarks as he rests on his bed once more.

"Maybe you should keep up, then?" You smile at him.

"Of course. I won't be abandoned by a moron like you. Now, I was reading. Rest, Slater."

"Right, yeah…" You lay flat on your bed and stare up at the ceiling for a moment. Something is swirling in your mind that needs confirmation. "Hey, Dylan?"

"Mm?"

"Is that one of Blake's books?"

"Oh, ah, no!" He answers in a flustered state.

"Oh… I thought I saw that on her bookshelf. My bad," you close your eyes and try to doze off. "So… are you and Blake, like… a thing yet, or..?"

"What kind of questions are these?" He says with a louder voice.

"Hey, hey," you open your eyes and look to him. "No need to get defensive. I just thought, you know, someone like you would have… made the first move, I guess."

"What makes you think that?" He says as if you've offended him.

"Well, you say I'm an idiot and since I never made the first move and you claim to not be an idiot… you know…"

Dylan puts the book down and sighs.

"I hate when your idiotic logic makes sense," he huffs. "But… I…"

"Wait, are you scared?" You chuckle.

"No! I'm just… taking my time," he says in a classy manner.

"While Sun keeps getting closer."

"Please, as if Blake would fall for someone like Sun," he looks away and smiles.

"Well, if there isn't a certain other guy going for her… I don't know," you jokingly say, trying to rile him up.

"I… hm…"

"Maybe just tell her how you feel?"

"Please, what would you know about relationships and feelings?" He insults.

"Well, not much, but I am one who does what I want and says what's on my mind, no matter how stupid it is. You never know how something will turn out unless you do it. Not many opportunities pass me by since I go for all of them. But since you 'don't like her,'" you say with air quotes. "I guess it doesn't matter."

Dylan's eyes mosey on down to the ground as he thinks on your words.

"I… suppose that's accurate."

"I don't know, just something to think about. I know you two get along, so… just wondering. Good night, Dylan."

"Good night, Slater."

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Dylan looks over the lake below Beacon. He knows you fancy this spot as well, but he enjoys it for the water and not the view. He's always more comfortable in and around water, much like his sister who prefers to be in hotter locations. After finishing the book that Blake indeed lent him, Dylan has been thinking about what you said. He wouldn't admit it to you, but Dylan isn't exactly the best with women, let alone ones he's interested in. The fact he hasn't said anything about his feelings or even tried talking to Blake about relationships is a clear sign that he's afraid. Perhaps it would be best to tell Blake upfront how he feels and what he wants. He and Blake have a lot in common, they're both Faunus of few words, yet the time they spend together is always enjoyable for him. In truth, it somewhat reminds him of how you and Ruby are. You just seem so happy when you're spending time together, no matter what you're doing. He feels the same with Blake.

"Hey, Dylan. You finished the book already?" Blake speaks as she approaches him.

Dylan turns around and hands the book to her.

"It was a good one. Thank you for allowing me to read it."

She shrugs.

"It's alright. I don't often get to share and talk about books with friends. Ruby and Yang aren't ones to read and Weiss… I don't think she reads the same things as I do."

"Indeed. She doesn't seem to be one who enjoys these kinda of books. They are quite entertaining though. I truly enjoyed the protagonist of that one."

"Did you?" Blake's eyes light up for a moment. "I thought she was really cool! Being stripped of her name then having to build up her respect from the dirt. The way she handled it was… oh, I could go on forever," Blake says with a wide smile.

"Heh… it's interesting to see you so… invested?" He throws out the word. "Usually you're more reserved."

"Well… we all have things we like. I'm curious what yours is, Dylan," she devilishly smiles.

"I'll keep that to myself," he snickers. "Anyway, I had something I wanted to ask you, Blake.

"Oh? What's up?

"Are you… um…" Dylan scratches his ears out of nervousness. "I… are you coming out to Illium's… with everyone?"

"Oh, um… I wasn't sure. Last time I went out with Yang she started a fight. Plus clubs aren't really my thing. I might stay at Beac-"

"I want you to come!" Dylan blurts out, only to immediately regret it.

"Oh, uh… really?" Blake answers, baffled by Dylan's sudden outburst.

"Damn you, Slater," he mumbles. "Yes. I'd like you to come. It… well… yeah… I think it'd be more fun with you around."

"Oh, well… okay, I'll… come… only if you come, though!"

"Yeah, that's… yeah," Dylan shifts in place, feeling the awkward wave coming over the two of them. "So… well, I'll see you later."

"Y-Yeah," Blake nods.

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"Hehe… hehehe… I'm surprised how… used to this weight… I'm getting," you pant while staring at the sky.

As per usual, you're lying on the ground after a round of training. Despite not having a trainer watching over you, it's probable that this is the hardest you've ever trained in your life. Which is surprising considering the people you've trained under. You've made arrangements so you're not training all alone all the time. Dylan, for some reason, offered to help you train the morning after you spoke.

"He seemed to be in a weird mood. Almost mad… but happy too. He's a strange one," you chuckle. "But at least I'll have someone to spar with. Always better to train with someone else, after all." You shift a little in place. "So I'll just relax a little until he gets here."

You place your hands behind your head and close your eyes. The breeze cools down your body and blows the grass around you somewhat. It's a very peaceful time for you, despite having to fight in the coming days. It's always good to have these relaxing moments, even if your body is completely worn out and sore from training. It hasn't been easy having all this increased weight on you, and, admittedly, it'll be difficult for you to take it off during the tournament. You're well aware you won't be accustomed to the weight by the time the Vytal Festival starts and there's no way you'll lose just because of that.

"Hm… maybe I'll stop using it before the tournament. I have no idea how weird it will feel to not have this extra stuff," say whisper, eyes still closed.

"I don't like this force field you have," Dylan speaks as he enters your training grounds.

"It's not a force field, Dylan! It's a camouflage… field…"

"I still don't understand why this has to be so secretive," Dylan questions, still approaching you.

"Because I want it to be a big surprise," you say with enthusiasm as you get to your feet. "I want to be like, 'Oh, I'm not the same (Y/N) as before!' And they'll be like, 'Where did you get this speed? This isn't your semblance!' and I'll be like, 'I don't need my Semblance for someone like you!' And the-"

"I get it!" Dylan shouts. "You want to do your stupid intros or whatever, like what you did when we met."

"Hehe, come on, that was gold," you smile.

"Mm… sure. So, is that really the only reason you're doing this? To not use your Semblance?"

"Well," you place your hand on your shoulder. "I told you already. I want to use my Semblance more effectively by attack almost instantaneously. Plus I got so used to not using my Semblance… well, I kinda wanna save it for if I'm in trouble."

"But you rely too much on your Semblance," Dylan points out.

"Coming from the guy who literally only uses water!" You shout back.

"Touché," he rolls his eyes. "So, you just want more combat experience with this suit."

"Yeah. Yang kicked my cahones last time so-"

"Cahones?"

You shrug.

"I heard it one time. Think it means butt or something. That's the context it was said to me in, anyway."

"Huh… alright, whatever. I get it. You think your combat speed is too slow compared to your Semblance. I can see the logic. You could become extremely dangerous if you could attack even faster. What's your final goal, anyhow?"

You smile at him.

"Lightning. Well, lightning faster than lightning is the final goal. But I don't even know anyone that fast, so Dior made sure to have a setting where the lightning is about half the speed or something. But still, if I can keep up and react to it…"

"You'll become near unstoppable. Be careful, Slater. Becoming too powerful will lead to-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," you wave him off. "Trust me, nobody'll be able to stand up to me."

"You mean… Harrier?" The Faunus raises his brow.

"I… maybe… Dylan, you know how strong he is, right?" Dylan nods in response. "I won't lose to him next time. That's a promise. I'll get as strong as I can… I'll be the strongest Slater in history!" You smile, clenching your fist ahead of you.

"Is that so?" Dylan snickers. "Well, I'll be right with you. We are partners, after all."

You take a few steps back and raise your arms up to fight.

"Alright, partner, then let's get stronger together!"

Dylan slides his foot back and raises his hands to his hips.

"Very well… just don't get disappointed when I beat you!"

You both run at each other and its immediately clear you're hindered by the weight. Dylan almost wants to hold back but that won't help your training. Your movements are far too easy to read for someone like Dylan. You may be skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but that's what Dylan specializes in, so reading your tardy movements are simple. He ducks under your first punch and lodges his fist into your stomach.

"Oh, this will be cathartic," Dylan smirks.

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"So you're coming with that on?" Dylan asks as he sets his weapons down on his bed.

"Yeah, like I said, I wanna get used to it. Besides, I don't really wanna dance this time around. I'll just chat with my pals," you chuckle.

"Fair enough. Come on, we said we'd meet at RWBY's dorm."

"The team or the girl?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not… only if you're asking which one I'm dating."

"I suppose so."

You and Dylan leave your room and make your way to RWBY's dorm. It's a simple walk that takes no time at all so you arrive in seconds.

"Come on, Weiss! I wanna go out!"

"You have work to do."

"Yang! Tell her!"

"I don't know, Rubes, it's your fault."

"But Yaaaang!"

You and Dylan share a look of uncertainty.

"So… should we knock?"

"Go right ahead," Dylan gestures.

You squint your eyes at him whilst approaching the door. You knock on it twice and step back. Yang's the one to open the door and smile at you both.

"Hey, you two! How's it going!"

"(Y/N)!" A booming voice shouts from the hallway.

You, Dylan, and Yang look down the hall to team ORKD, mostly Kin who's walking in front with his arms wide.

"Heya, Kin! Dior! Onyx! R…Rogue…" You say with a little less enthusiasm and more nervousness.

"(Y/N), tell her!" Ruby runs out and points back at Weiss. "I can do the work later! I want to go out!"

"No, Ruby. I'll stay behind and help you. The rest of you can go," she says, looking to the others.

ORKD reaches the small group during this miniature turmoil.

"But I wanted to go!" Ruby whines.

"You should have thought about that before napping during class," Weiss scolds.

You chuckle and cross your arms.

"Weiss, you go out and have fun. I'll help Little Red with her work."

"You? You're not one to be a hard worker," Dylan snickers.

"He's more a man of action… like me!" Kin announces.

"We get it, Kin," Rogue pinches the bridge of her nose.

"You n-n-never were one to st-t-tudy…"

You sigh.

"True, but I think Weiss needs some time out more than me. You're more tightly wound," you smirk," gently placing a hand on her shoulder, making sure not to let your weight push her down.

"I am not!"

"Yeeeah, you are," Yang laughs.

"Go on, Weiss. I'll make sure she gets her work done, promise."

You and Weiss' eyes never stray from each other until Ruby speaks up.

"I'm… okay with this… if he stays with me."

Weiss huffs.

"Fine… but if her work isn't done then you'll be hearing from me!" She points at you.

"Don't worry, Weiss," you gently move her hand away. "Go have fun. You guys," you turn to your other friends. "We'll have to have hang out another time. I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright, (Y/N)," Onyx responds. "Please enjoy your time with Ruby. I'm eager to meet your other friends."

"I forgot he could talk," Yang whispers to Blake.

You wave to your friends and enter RWBY's dorm with Ruby right behind you.

"You all have fun! And don't kill each other!"

"A good fight is the best way to learn more about each other!" Kin says.

"We're going to dance, Kin. Who starts fights at a club?" Rogue jokingly says

Blake peers over at Yang, which makes the brawler squint at her partner.

"Don't you dare," she whispers once more.

You close the door behind you, closing you and Ruby off from everyone else. Ruby smiles at you, clearly excited.

"Alright, so what're you working on?"

"History," Ruby sighs, her excitement dying instantly. "I have… heh…" She points over to Weiss' bed where over a dozen papers are strewn about.

"Oh, well…" You place your hand on your hips. "Guess we have some work to do. We'll mess around after. Like, as a reward or break or something?"

"Okay!" She cheers. "Come on, we'll just sit on Weiss' bed."

"You're allowed to do that?"

"Well… not really."

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After a decently long flight and drive over, the large group of students approaches Illium's Night Club. They can all hear the booming music from inside, all witnessing the neon lights attracting locals to it, and blending in with the crowd trying to get in. Some smile at the sight, like Kin and Yang, while others shy away from the building, like Dior and Weiss. Still, the group is together and determined to have fun, despite the bridge between the two teams being gone.

Dior leads the group to the door and shows the doorman his ticket. He's instantly let in and the process repeats for every member of RWBY and ORKD, plus Dylan.

"Be warned, friends!" Kin shouts to the people behind him. "It's much louder inside! Prepare yourselves!" He finishes before pushing open the door and allowing the music to escape the square room, even just momentarily.

"People enjoy this?" Weiss shouts to her friends.

"What?" Blake shouts back.

"This is awesome! Look at that dance floor! I'm going down there right now!" Yang cheers.

The busty brawler immediately makes her way to the dance floor to enjoy herself.

"I'm eager to join her! But, please, follow me to our table!" Kin leads the rest of the group towards a seat that's pretty standard when it comes to reserved tables. Along the wall are tables that are separated by fairly thin walls and a curtain that can be lowered if the guests choose to do so. The group of young souls all take their seats in whatever spot they fit it. Kin stands at the front of the table, smiling at everyone.

"I'm glad you could make it today! It's unfortunate (Y/N) could not join us, but I'm sure I can make up for his enthusiasm!"

"You probably surpass it," Rogue chuckles, sitting at the edge of the table so she can actually hear Kin.

The others, however, cannot hear Kin as he speaks. They all just watch the burly man throw his arms around and see his mouth move. After he finishes his speech he gives everyone a farewell and heads to the dance floor to join up with Yang.

"I'm surprised you all decided to come. I wasn't sure if you were people who go out much," Rogue speaks.

"Last time we went out we fought an Atlas mech," Dylan responds. "Actually, you didn't come with us, Weiss."

"That's because I was with (Y/N)… when your sister came after us."

"Oh, yes… I almost forgot that was the same night," Dylan says with a darker tone. "I wish that night had gone differently."

"What happened?" Rogue inquires, speaking for her quieter team.

"Hm… well…"

As Dylan and Weiss explain their own stories, a person watches from a distance. His dark glasses continuously change colour thanks to the flashing lights in the building.

"Hm… Rose isn't here either. He's likely with her somewhere else… perhaps at Beacon," the man looks down at a stone cylinder with Salem's mark on its end. "I suppose I'll wait for a more opportune moment. Considering that… hm… perhaps a test is in order," he snickers to himself. "Perhaps its time for them to tell him the truth. At least their version of the truth."

Harrier tightens his grip on the item and walks towards the exit. Though his goal was not achieved, he thought of something that will be far more entertaining and worthwhile. That is considered a victory for him.

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"See, we're close," you smile at the frustrated girl. "We only have two pages left. Can't believe it's been two hours already."

"I know," Ruby whines as she lays upside-down on Weiss' bed, tears running down her face. "My poor brain is going to explode. Why do they do this to me?"

You chuckle as you pull Ruby towards you and set her up for more work.

"Come on. When we're done… maybe we'll snuggle or something. Maybe I'll give you a massage?"

"Can you even give a massage?" Ruby giggles, her mood instantly changing.

"I don't know. You can be my test subject. Maybe if it goes well I'll have something to fall back on if my Huntsmen career doesn't pan out."

"Hehe, I can't wait to be there with you for that," she says as she lays back down, resting her head on your lap.

"You… think we'll be together for that long?"

"Oh… I… I don't know. I want to be! Hopefully…" Her voice trails off in disappointment.

"Well, hey, you're not getting rid of me anytime soon," you say with a smile to raise her hopes once more. "So you never know. I might be able to deal with you for that long."

"Hey! I'm great to be around! Ask Weiss, we're besties!"

"I'm sure," you chuckle. "Come on, we're almost done. I don't want to get yelled at by Weiss."

"So you better stay on my good side," she playfully threatens as she lifts herself up and bounces over to the papers.

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Dior, Onyx, and Rogue listen intently as Dylan, Blake, and Weiss tell their own stories. With varied conversations, questions, and tangents, the conversation lasts forever. Some of it involved Dylan and his time in the White Fang, or the trip to Mountain Glenn that RWBY made. But, admittedly, the members of ORKD enjoy the stories of you the most. Hearing what you've been doing while you've been away is enlightening. Conversations broke off into the details of Merlot's island, the Grimm in the maze, Harrier's arrival, and, of course, the dumbest things you've done in during your time at Beacon. Most of this doesn't surprise Dior and Onyx, but Rogue is almost shaken by the stories. She hides it, of course, but her teammates can tell.

"Well… I think I'll go see how Kin is doing. I want to move around too," she says, leaving the table and heading down the nearest set of stairs.

"W-W-Well that was expected…"

"What?" Dylan asks.

"Is it (Y/N)? What's her problem with him? They dated but… that's not enough to hate someone," Weiss adds.

Dior shakes his head.

"I-I would agree. But it hurts K-K-Kin and Rogue the most."

"Kin? Why him?" Blake speaks.

"Kin and Rogue are together," Onyx finally chips in. "But Rogue has been taking her time at Beacon hard. What you said, Weiss, is true. But think of this: If you loved someone, adored them, looked up to them, and suddenly then they left without saying a word. Now imagine seeing them again, but they're happier than ever, making more friends, revealing more about themselves then to you and also having a new partner. It has clearly taken its toll on her and has put more stress on Kin. He wants to do whats best for his partner, but he isn't as effective as time."

"Wow… you haven't sp-p-poken that much in a long t-t-time," Dior remarks.

"I know about my team. I know their strengths and weaknesses. This is a weakness that exists, and I won't ignore it," he responds, still a minimal amount of emotion to him.

"Wait, what do you mean he's revealed more about himself?" Blake inquires.

"I was the only one who knew his p-parents were dead. He rarely opened up to anyone l-like he did here. For Rogue, I imagine that h-hurts," Dior looks to the dance floor, attempting to find his teammate. "I hope she can move on. K-K-Kin does everything he can for her… they're a v-very nice pair."

"Definitely an interesting one. I've never met a man like Kin," Dylan points out. "Well," Dylan leans back in his seat. "I remember one man from the White Fang being a little eccentric. Very excitable. Very dangerous."

"Excuse me, I need to freshen up," Weiss interrupts as she slips out of the seat.

"Actually, I have to as well. I'll come with you, Weiss."

The two girls leave the boys on their own to whatever conversation arises. They reach the bathroom where their ears get a little bit of a break from the booming music. The room is a red and pink colour that compliments it well enough. The stalls are lined up at the back with a nice set of sinks set up just across from the door.

"Hey, Weiss, I wanted to speak with you about something," Blake starts.

"Sure, what's on your mind," she responds, looking at her hands as she washes them.

"I… um…" Blake fiddles in place a little bit, unsure how to ask Weiss and still not believing that she'll ask the Heiress about this. "I… it's about Dylan…"

Weiss slowly turns her head towards her fellow teammate.

"Oh… is it now?"

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"Very convenient. I don't think we have anyone at Beacon with your skills," Dylan compliments to the golden boy, Dior.

The two girls return, gathering the attention of the three boys.

"I think we should all dance," Weiss declares. "Come on! I'm not taking no for an answer."

"You actually want to go dance? Didn't yo-"

"A girl can change her mind!" She quickly shuts down the Faunus. "So come on! You two as well! We're here to dance and I'll make sure we all do it!"

Blake internally smiles at her teammate. She's well aware Weiss is going out of her way to do this for her. Blake looks to Dylan and cocks her head over to the dance floor.

"Come on, Dylan. You invited me here so…"

"I… okay, sure, yeah, I can do this. Let me use the restroom and I'll join you."

"I'll wait here, then," Blake smiles, taking Dior and Onyx's seat.

"We'll see you down there!" Weiss waves as she drags the two boys down the stairs.

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"And so… the battle… came to an end…" Ruby says aloud as she writes on the paper. "What do you think?"

"It should work, I think," you say before taking a bite out of a cookie – one Ruby gave to you as a reward for helping while she guzzled down four. "We even went into detail about-"

You both stop when the sound of your scroll takes over. You grab it from your pocket and see a picture of Dylan.

"Huh…" You answer and put it on speaker for Ruby to hear. "What's up? Is the dance floor popping? Maybe you're performing more wetification st-"

"They want to dance!" Dylan shouts.

You and Ruby look at each other awkwardly.

"Aren't they at a club?" She whispers.

"I thought so... Who wants to dance?"

"Blake! I think she wants to dance with me!"

"Wow, I've never heard so much emotion in your voice," you snicker.

"Shut up, Slater! You got me into this mess and I don't want to screw up!"

"You like Blake?" Ruby exclaims.

"You're letting her hear me?"

"She's a girl, I thought she could help."

"You didn't even know why I called!"

"True… but it worked out so who cares?"

"Slater! This isn't some joke!"

"I know, I know, calm down," you lay back on the bed, resting the scroll on your stomach. "I don't know, Dylan. Just dance with her. Stop thinking so much about it. Relax, have fun, and tell her how you feel."

"I… right… I have to think more like an idiot – more like you."

"Exactly!" You proudly say with a large smile on your face. "Wait… no, shut up!"

Ruby giggles at the interaction between you two.

"It's okay, Dylan! We're cheering for you!"

"Right… thanks, Ruby."

"What about me?" You scream.

"You're useless. Goodbye."

The line disconnects and silence takes over once more.

"Sheesh, I try to help and get ignored."

Ruby slips beside you and cuddles up.

"I'm not ignoring you."

"Eh, true enough. But we're not done with your work yet. One more page."

Ruby pouts.

"Fine."

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Dylan approaches the table, taking a short breath to keep himself leveled. Blake is patiently waiting at the table, admittedly antsy for his return.

"Just remember what Weiss said… remember what she said…"

Dylan approaches the table and smiles at his friend.

"So… we good, or..?"

"Yeah, everyone's already down there. Even Weiss looks to be having fun."

Blake leaves her seat and follows Dylan's lead.

"I guess even an Heiress has to let loose every once in a while."

"I think she does that enough with her words," Blake playfully jokes.

"Yes, that's true," he responds with a snicker.

The two make their way down the stairs, past some other tables, and reach the dancefloor after another set of stairs. The lights are flashing, the music is booming, and everyone is enjoying themselves. Even Weiss, though a bit of an eyesore, is dancing her heart out. It's a sight to see for any who know her. It's something Dylan will definitely relay to you once he's returned. The two Faunus make some space for themselves amongst the crowd, though they were unable to really get close to their friends. To Dylan's surprise, Blake gets into it almost immediately, moving her body to the beat with a brilliant smile. Dylan doesn't have much experience with this sort of dance, but he adapts the best he can. He's far from the worst dancer in the room. If anyone looked around, it would clearly be Kin's over exaggerated movements that, at the very least, reflects his personality. Some would say that dancing, much like fighting, can help reveal one's true personality. Others would say it's just a fun little activity. No matter what it is, Dylan's just happy to see a smile on Blake's face.

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"I think my arm's getting numb," you whisper into Ruby's ear.

"Hehe, am I working it too hard?"

"Maybe. You have been resting on it for… actually, how long have we been here, anyway? I think I dozed off," you say, wearily.

"You did. It was really, um… well, your little breaths and stuff, I mean I wasn't watching you but I was here so I heard and it was really… cute…" Ruby somewhat curls inward out of embarrassment.

You pull her in a bit closer with the arm she's been resting on.

"Nah, it's fine. I remember once you fell asleep and snored a bit."

"I don't snore!"

"How would you know? You were sleeping," you chuckle.

"I just do!" Ruby pouts.

"Alright, alright, you win this one. You don't snore like a Beowolf."

"(Y/N)!" Ruby whines.

"I'm kidding! It was a joke," you continue to laugh.

"Why are you so mean to me?" She curls into you a little more, resting her free arm on your stomach.

"For cute little reactions like that," you tap her nose.

She looks up at the mattress hanging above you both.

"Hey (Y/N), can I ask you something?" She says with a quiet tone.

"Of course."

"I… I wanted to visit my dad before the tournament starts… and I… I want to bring you with me," she lifts off your arm and looks down at you. "I want you to meet my dad."

"Heh… sure, why not?"

"Wait, really?" She says with a hopeful smile.

"Yep," you nod. "I mean, why not? It's a couples thing, right? Besides, it shows I'm serious about us," you smile at the girl looking down at you.

Those words ignite such joy in her that she instinctively comes down and kisses you. As fast as she came down, she pulls away, cheeks red with embarrassment.

"I… uh, hehe, sorry, I didn't mean to, I mean, not that I didn't want to but I didn't mean to, I-"

You push yourself up from the bed, which, thanks to the suit is a tad more difficult than you'd prefer, and connect your lips with hers once more. Her eyes flutter as she gives into the sensation.

You pull back and rest yourself on the bed again.

"You never had to worry about that, Little Red. You got soft lips, so don't worry."

Ruby trails her finger across her lips.

"Soft… huh… I, hehe… okay…"

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"Alright, you sexy lads and lasses!" The DJ shouts. "I think it's time we get a little more… intimate…" He switches the song to a slower song, but still one that's catchy. "I know everyone's been eying someone here. Now's the chance. Build up that confidence, ask that girl to dance, have a great time, my people!"

Dior, Weiss, and Onyx take their leave and return to the table. Kin and Rogue take up a close position, Kin's hands resting on Rogue's hips while she pulls herself closer, resting her head on his chest.

"Hey, Kin…"

"Yes, Rogue?"

"Thank you… for… for putting up with me."

Kin can only assume this means one thing, thus he takes the compliment and remains silent. He holds his girlfriend close, slowly moving to the beat of the music. For a girl like Rogue, a sentence like that is rare. He won't ruin it.

On the other hand, Blake and Dylan are still on the dance floor.

"I… would you like… to dance? I mean, everyone else is gone and it's kinda awkward, so…"

"I don't think I've ever heard you be so… indecisive," Blake points out. "But… I think I know why."

"Huh?"

"You're… you're nervous."

"And you are?"

"Kind of. I… darn it, why am I like this," she quietly scolds herself.

All of a sudden Dylan pulls Blake closer to him. She yelps out of surprise but he quickly places a finger over her mouth.

"We were getting stares. I'd prefer not to be a focal point," he whispers, then takes his hand off her mouth.

"Right… fair enough. It's been a while since we danced."

"Yeah… last time I was at a dance…" Dylan's mind flashes to the masked woman and Harrier. "It was interesting. Not as… pleasant, though."

"Was that a compliment?" Blake smirks.

"I'm not very good at it. I'm trying… I'm surprised how much I try for the people at Beacon. It's… strange."

"You didn't feel that way in the White Fang? Even when you believed in it?" Blake asks in genuine concern.

"I… don't know. I thought I did, but it wasn't my choice to be in the White Fang. Granted, I didn't have a choice to join Beacon, but I'm… happier here. I'm not spiteful, I have friends… I…" He looks away from Blake's amber eyes… "I… I care a lot… for people…" He huffs. "Goddamnit, I mocked Slater for his inability to recognize others feelings but I'm incapable of actually going through with anything like he can…"

"Dylan… you're ranting."

"Right, yeah," he shakes his head. "I… listen, Blake, you're one of my favourite people at Beacon. You… I don't know, this is different for me and I'm not as… straightforward as Slater… but I'd, uh…" He looks down at their slowly moving feet. "I think…"

"Hey, you don't have to be complicated," she whispers. "I know exactly what how you feel."

"So…"

"We can just enjoy the moment… yeah…"

From above, Weiss watches her two friends bond.

"Not the most practical," she mumbles to herself. "But our plans rarely go smoothly, so I suppose things worked out. Speaking of plans," she looks to the ceiling. "I hope certain people fulfill their plans."

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After splitting off from ORKD once returning to Beacon. Everyone was satisfied with the night and thanked Kin for the opportunity. Blake and Dylan were both especially appreciative for the night out for reasons that differed from the others.

"Slater is still with Ruby, I assume?" Dylan asks Weiss.

"Hopefully. We'll check when we get there."

The four walk to their room and allow Weiss to unlock the door. They enter and find Ruby peacefully sleeping on Weiss' bed, alone. Dylan huffs and smiles.

"I know where he is. At least they got their work done," he points out, looking at the stack of papers set beside the bed.

"I suppose they did," Weiss huffs.

"It was a fun night! Don't worry about what Ruby was doing!" Yang confidently says.

"You're not worried what Ruby and (Y/N) were doing all alone?" Blake adds.

Yang pauses for a moment, blinking twice.

"I'll kill'em."

"That's my leave. Have a good night, girls," Dylan says before giving a quick wave.

The two Faunus share one last look – one that heats up Blake's cheeks. The door closes and Dylan heads back to his room.

"I can only imagine you being in one place, Slater…"

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"Huff… Huff…" Sweat drips down your forehead as you rest on one knee. "It's good to remember… what I'm fighting for… Meeting her dad, though… I didn't think it would happen so soon." You get back to your feet and look up at the darkened sky. "Tai Yang… It's been a long time since I've seen you. I wonder how you'll react to me dating your daughter," you chuckle at the thought. "Well… I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I won't let intimidation scare me off from Ruby. If I did, Yang would have chased me to Vacuo by now," once again snickering at your own words. "It'll be fine. For now, lets focus on training!"

 **First off, I have to thank all of you for the OC submissions! I have so many to choose from now… unfortunately, only three can be chosen, but I still value every entry! For those who're curious, submissions will close come March 1st, 2018. I'll announce the winners whenever the chapter comes out after that.**

 **Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I assume you can guess what the next chapter will be, and after that, I'll be starting the Vytal Festival Tournament! Yeah, exciting! Volume 3 is practically upon us and I'm hoping it'll be just as awesome! Hell, by the time Volume 3 is done, Volume 6 will probably be out… maybe… well, I'll see you all later!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **If you REALLY like me you could consider supporting me on . You can make a request for any stories you want! Of course it's optional but it helps. Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: Ride The Lightning, Manuel Garcia, DragonCaveFilledWithCoconuts and James Tubbs**


	34. Chapter 34: Boy Meets Father

**Chapter 34: Boy Meets Father**

Two girls jog across Beacon with the morning sun giving them light. They're all alone considering how early it is, but that works out for them just fine. In truth, one of the two girls would rather have slept in. Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose keep their breathing at pace with their steps as they mirror each others movements. Though mostly unused, Ruby does have a set of clothes specifically for working out with her sister. She wears a sleeveless red hoody in a meager attempt to replicate her dearest cloak. The hoody once had sleeves, but Yang made sure to rip them off. "Show some skin, Rubes," she would say. That's the only skin Ruby is showing, as she still wears a mix of black and dark red leggings that covers her legs entirely along with some running shoes. Yang wears the same outfit she wore when you worked out with her.

"You're really gonna bring (Y/N) home?" Yang immediately questions once Ruby stops talking.

"Yeah! I want to visit dad and mom before the tournament and I think bringing (Y/N) will be fun! It'll show we're serious."

"Are you?"

"I am!" Ruby pouts. "I really really care about (Y/N) and I know he feels the same about me! He said so! He agreed!"

"Okay, okay, calm down, Rubes," Yang chuckles. "I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. I'm happy you're happy, but when you're not happy that makes me not happy and makes (Y/N) lose a limb."

"YANG!"

"I'm totally not kidding."

"YANG!"

"You know dad will probably be the same. He's won't be happy when he learns his 'little girl' has a boyfriend," she jokes.

"Aren't we both his 'little girl?'" Ruby giggles.

"True enough. 'Remember, girls, boys are evil and if they come close to you, well, you've trained for a reason,'" Yang recites, making both girls laugh at the memory. "I'm almost jealous of you. I wanted to be the one to bring home the first boy. I can only imagine dad's reaction. But considering it's (Y/N), well…"

"What?" Ruby tilts her head at her sister as they loop around the fountain.

"You know (Y/N). He's a… wild card. I don't know how dad'll react, especially since you two have already kissed," Yang wiggles her eyebrows.

Ruby's cheeks flush red, both from exercise and embarrassment.

"I… that's not the point, Yang! And you get mad when I mention it so why do you get to!"

"Because I'm the big sister and I can do whatever I want," she proudly states.

"That's not fair!"

"Hey, don't worry about it, Rubes. I'm happy that you found someone you care for and I know dad will feel the same way. It just might take some time," she speaks honestly. "But as long as he sees you're both serious you'll be fine."

"Heh… thanks Yang. I know it'll go well!"

The two girls run along some grass into territory that only Yang really uses. This sort of routine doesn't bother Ruby at all despite not really exercising like this in a while. The two are interrupted when you suddenly appear out of nowhere and tumble across the grass.

"Why… did I try again… I don't think… I can move…" You desperately try to push yourself off the ground but your body has given up. Attempting to dodge lightning with the weight active was an absolute mistake that you've immediately regretted.

"(Y/N)!" You hear Ruby's voice shout.

"Little… Red?" You mumble, though unable to look at her. "Oh boy…"

The two sisters rush to your side. Ruby jumps over you, spins around, and plops on the ground to make eye contact. You weakly smile at her like you always do.

"Hey… looking good, Little Red… I've never seen… that outfit…"

"Are you okay? What happened?" Yang demands.

"Oh, you know… just doing some training. Don't worry, my Aura's kicking in."

"What were you doing? And where did you come from? I didn't see your smokey stuff when you appeared!" Ruby quickly questions, wanting answers from her boyfriend.

"Don't worry," you chuckle as you roll onto your back. "I'm just doing some special training. Maybe I'll tell you about it later…" You look up at Ruby with an awestruck look. The way the sun is emphasizing her features astounds you. Her glistening skin, her brilliant silver eyes, and even the way her hair dances down her face. "Wow… you're beautiful," your hand instinctively reaches up and caresses Ruby's cheek. "Hehe… aren't I lucky."

Ruby places her hand on yours, keeping it sandwiched by her skin.

"I… I'm pretty lucky too," she giggles, a wave of emotions rushing through her.

Yang's eyes darts between the two of you. She's completely invisible to you both right now. You're in your own little relationship world that, honestly, warms Yang's heart. Sure, she threatens to hurt you if you ever dared to hurt her little sister. Times like these, however, show that you two have a genuine connection that only you can truly understand.

"I hope dad sees this side of you two," Yang mumbles to herself. She soon clears her throat to remind you two love birds that she still exists. "Do you think you can just touch my sister?"

"Eh? Ah!" Your hand slides out of Ruby's, forcing a disappointed moan from the girl. "Yang! Hehe, I, uh, forgot you were here! I mean, eh, I wasn't 'touching' her, more like a caress! Wait, yeah! That's more sensual, right?"

"You're trying to get sensual with her?" Her eyes flicker red as he fist tightens.

"GAH! Ruby help me!" You plead.

"Yang, leave him alone! He's gonna have a hard enough time as it is!"

Yang's rage slowly dwells.

"I suppose that's true… don't think I'll forget your advances!" She points at you.

"Yeah… hehe… oh, wait, we're going to Patch today, right?" You turn to Ruby.

"Mhm," she eagerly nods. "After classes! I'm so excited! We're bringing Zwei, too!"

"Oh, yeah, the dog. I haven't really seen him much…" You ask in a self-reflecting manner. "Ah, well, whatever. I'm looking forward to it," you say before lifting off the ground and getting to your feet.

The girls return to a standing position as well.

"Ruby, we should head back to our dorm if we wanna be showered for classes."

"Oh, okay, um…" She looks to you and smiles. "Meet me at my dorm after class, okay! I'll be waiting."

"Sure, no problem," you nod.

"And make sure you knock. Weiss is getting sick of you 'accidentaly _**leaping**_ in,'" Yang says with air quotes.

"Hey, I didn't mean to come in when she wasn't dressed! And she wasn't even naked!" You defend yourself.

"She was mad for days," Ruby giggles at the thought. "Well, I'll see you later, (Y/N)." She places a hand on your shoulder as support when she lifts herself up and pecks your cheek.

"See you, Little Red," you wave at her.

You watch as the sisters jog away before turning back to your training area.

"Hm… the Vytal Festival starts this Monday. Spending the time at Patch will probably be best, actually. I can let my body adjust to its normal weight. Man, there's a pun here, somewhere. I should've asked Yang," you scold yourself.

You enter your training area and approach the box. You've done all the training you planned on doing for the day during the early hours, so resting up until its time to go is your master plan. You deactivate the training regimen and leave the box open, not daring to deactivate it and reveal yourself to everyone. You look around, assuring there's nobody around, and quickly strip down to just the suit. You kneel down and grab your scroll out of a pocket.

"My regular weight… this is gonna be weird."

With a few clicks you deactivate the weight and release yourself from the intense pressure. You almost feel like you're floating now that you feel so light. Satisfied, you go to place your scroll on your clothes only to slam it against the ground.

"Oh… well, guess it will take some getting used to." You straighten up and look down at your suit. "Alright, now to get off me."

With one slick movement you slip out of the suit and leave yourself completely naked in the middle of Beacon. Luckily the camouflage is still active else somewhat might pass by. You grab your undergarment and-

"(Y/N)! I know I heard something and this is where Professor Ozpin said you'd be-"

You look up and connect eyes with Glynda Goodwitch. She instantly recognizes your lack of clothing and has an internal panic.

"I… well," she turns around, eyes closed yet a vision thoroughly burned into her retinas. "This never happened. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Good… Now… carry on with your day…" She quickly marches away at a pace you've never seen her use.

"Hm… I wonder if I adopted both of my father's swords…" You cross your arms and tilt your heard. "Wait, that would mean he and Glynda…" You clench up and shake your head. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, why did I even think of that?" You quickly scold yourself. "Just get dressed. Just get dre- GAH!" You fall forward as soon as you take a step. Your entire front lands on the ground, crushing a certain delicate part. "Why… why… I'm going back to my room."

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You appear in your dorm in a standing position. Dylan is sitting on his bed, looking over notes from the previous day. His eyes glance up and immediately widen.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NAKED, SLATER?"

"Wha- GAH I FORGOT!" You scream before _**leaping**_ out of the room.

Unfortunately, you never really gave thought as to where you're leaping. You appear in another room and land right on your back, exhaling.

"Okay, I-"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Weiss' scream echoes across all of Beacon. She grabs the books off Blake's shelf and starts throwing them at you. Blake herself almost clings to the top of Yang's bed out of shock from Weiss' scream.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" She shrieks.

"Ow, ow, I'm sorry!"

You _**leap**_ out of the room and thankfully land back in the field away from anyone and everyone. You take a few deep breaths after all that excitement.

 _I'm dying today… I'm gonna die. Weiss will kill me. She's scary… probably the scariest woman I've ever met. Well, there is Rogue… and Glynda with that damn wand thing… and Yang when I'm with Ruby- why're girls so scary?_

You lift your back off the grass and look to your clothes.

"You know… I haven't really had a look after Merlot stole my jacket. I need something for the Vytal Festival… hm…" You stand up and walk over to your clothes. "Maybe I can go to the store? Or make them my- okay, no… Maybe Weiss could? Nah, she'll lace them with fire Dust and watch me burn… or maybe ice ones so I can freeze. Pft, nice try, Weiss, I never freeze," you chuckle as you put on the last article of clothing. "Wait…" An idea pops into your head. "Maybe… is there even one left?" You look to the tower of Beacon. "It would be cool to wear something he used to wear. But…" You look down at your hands as they shake. "Even the thought is messing with me… No! I can't let it! I can't let that be a weakness." You shake your head adamantly. "I've let it haunt me for far too long."

With your mind made up you _**leap**_ from Beacon all the way to a small, destroyed village. Your stomach immediately twists into a knot when you see the ruined buildings. You glance over to a hill where two gravestones reside.

"I…" You try to find words but they're caught in your throat. "Whatever," you shake your head. "I'll just take a quick peek and skedaddle."

You take your first step on almost fall over once more, but manage to catch yourself you're your other foot. "Goddamnit, let me walk body, please!"

You carefully walk through the desolate village until you find your old home. You attempt not to let the place get to you and accomplish your goal. You enter the house and make a b-line for your parent's room. You push open the door which breaks it completely. The wooden blank slams on the ground and echoes through the empty house. You examine your parents' room as if it was the first time you've ever seen in. In truth, you don't remember the look of their room at all, thus this could be considered a new experience. There's not much to look at – broken bed, worn out mattress, torn apart grimoire, overall a terribly looking place. The black and orange wallpaper doesn't help with the gloomy atmosphere either.

"So, dad, is it still here..?" You whisper aloud.

You approach the grimoire and kneel down. The remaining drawers are all open and looted. You stand up and look to the closet. It's wide open with no clothes whatsoever. You move toward the closet and give it a closer look. The wallpaper is mostly ripped, the floor is littered with hangers or torn clothes.

"Hm…" You turn to the bed and gaze down to the floor. "If I was to hide something…" You walk up to the bed, kneel down, and lift up the bed rather easily. So easily, in fact, you throw the bed across the room. "Oh… oops… wow, lifting my arm was harder than that," you smile at your hand. "Maybe I did get at least a bit stronger. Then again, this is just a fragile bed. I could lift a car if I wanted," you chuckle. "Actually… could I? Eh, whatever, not important."

You toss the bed to the wall as your eyes scan the floor. As you expected, you spot a small, wooden handle that would be hard to notice under the shadow of the bed. You lift it up and take a peek inside the compartment. You spot a rectangular box with silver linings hidden underneath the house.

"Haha, is that it?"

You haul the box out of the hole and rest it before you. You unclip the hinges and open it up, revealing… exactly what you wanted.

"Haha… there we go…"

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"And so another Vytal Festival is upon us," Ozpin says with a tone of joy. "It's unfortunate there's an ill omen surrounding it."

"I'm sure we'll stop anything that happens," Glynda reassures. "We also have-"

"Jeez, that's better. Don't know what he was thinking with cargo pants. Then again, white jeans aren't normal. At least I found some."

Ozpin and Glynda both turn their attention to you, a student who has a bad habit of just showing up without any prior warning. This is brushed aside, however, when they lay their eyes on you. You're walking towards them with your arms out as if you're presenting yourself.

"I think I fill it out well."

A long, white trench coat that's wide open. It waves down, letting the extra length by the chest flap. Unlike before, the red button is undone. Like before, the white coat straps that are intended for a belt flow behind you. Under the white coat is a red, sleeveless shirt that, thanks to the coat, nobody can actually tell is sleeveless. Your pants colour matches the jacket, but this time you've opted for jeans rather than the cargo pants that were stashed with the outfit. Your jeans fall over the white and red boots that protect your feet. The most defining feature is the golden bracer that covers your entire right arm. It even covers your signature glove, but it still leaves room to attack your blade. Your blade, along with a pouch with miscellaneous objects such as your training box, are hitched onto the same black belt you always wore.

For just a moment, Glynda and Ozpin see Jet before them. You look to your covered arm and sigh.

"I don't know why he didn't just have a sleeve. My arm's already getting chilly," you complain. "But whatever. I think it's pretty cool. Very Slatery, no? Fits my whole 'Slaters gonna Slate' thing I have going."

"You… found his attire?" Ozpin remarks.

"Yeah, it was hidden at our old house. I was surprised, honestly. I switched out his cargo pants and belt, though. They're in my room. I brought the whole box, actually. I'm sure Dylan will be happy to see me in actual clothes," you chuckle whilst rubbing the back of your head.

"You intend to wear that for the Vytal Festival?" Ozpin asks once more, making up for the silent Glynda.

"Mhm. I wanted a new look. I kinda feel like I'm copying my dad, though. Maybe I'll find something new after the tournament. Hey, I might even remodel this," you look at the clothes. "Maybe make it black… or grey… and get an actual shirt underneath. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," you wave off. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the time to train, Ozpin. I'm heading to Patch for the weekend so I won't be around."

"Patch? Hm… does this have anything to do with Ms. Rose?"

"Uh… hehe… maybe?" You say with a nervous smile. "But still, when I get back you better expect some kick as- eh, really cool fights," you quickly correct yourself. "Cause I'm gonna win the whole thing!"

Ozpin lets out a small chuckle as he closes his eyes.

"We'll see. Stay safe, (Y/N)."

"Yeah, of course! And, uh… You okay, Ms. Goodwitch?" You cock your head to the side.

"Oh, yes, I'm quite alright. Have fun, (Y/N)."

"Hm… okay," you shrug. "If something happens just message my scroll, I guess. I'll do the same for you."

"You won't," Ozpin snickers.

You laugh in responds. "Yeah, fair enough," you smile. "Have a good weekend," you wave before _**leaping**_ away.

Ozpin returns his gaze to Glynda.

"A shocking resemblance, no?"

"Seeing him in Jet's attire… it... it's almost frightening."

"Indeed," his eyes stare forward at nothing as he contemplates this. "Perhaps it's a coming of age tale. Though… I do see how this could be problematic. Slaters are… notorious. Some may despise (Y/N) on Harrier's legacy alone. But, of course, he will adapt and overcome."

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You appear in your room, right in front of Dylan. At first he wants to scold you or perhaps joke on how you're actually wearing clothes now. But that outfit catches him off guard. His eyes quickly look to your bedside table and the picture on there. The outfit your father wears is exactly like yours, save a few minor differences.

"I know, I'm actually wearing clothes," you chuckle. "I should probably tell Weiss that, too."

"You… were naked in front of Weiss?"

"Yeah…" You drag out the word then start laughing. "It was kinda funny, though."

"So she saw you naked before your… girlfriend?" He clarifies.

"Yeah, I guess so. Huh, weird. Anyway, I think I'm gonna take a nap. I've been up all night training and I gotta meet Ruby after classes." You approach your bed, passing Dylan. "Can you wake me up when you get back?"

"Very well. I will talk to you later, Slater."

"Wait!" You turn to the door before Dylan closes it behind him. "How did your thing go with Blake?"

"Hmph," is the only response as he closes the door.

"Hehe…" You take off your jacket and flop on the bed. "That's all I needed to know."

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 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

Your eyes slowly widen as someone rapidly pounds on your door.

"Considering it wasn't slow… eh…" You get off your bed and throw on your jacket once again. "Coming," you shout as you approach the door.

You open the door and, to no surprise, Ruby is standing in front of it with Zwei at her heel.

"Dylan told me you were here. He and Blake went to do something so I came to wake you!"

"Mhm," you slide your hand down your face as you try to wake yourself up. "Well, grab on. I'll _**leap**_ us to Patch."

"Nope."

"Nope?"

"Nope," she repeats, this time followed by a bark from Zwei. "Dad said he'll meet us at the docks in Vale. Well, the boat docks and not the airship docks. I wanna have the full experience!"

"Of… waiting on an airship, going across town, then waiting on a boat?"

"Mhm," she enthusiastically shakes her head.

You chuckle. "Sure, why not? I wouldn't mind showing off my darling girlfriend to everyone in Vale."

Ruby's cheeks heat up upon hearing the compliment. "I… I suppose so. But I'm a little… more excited to see dad."

Zwei barks in response, showing his eagerness to see Tai once again. You kneel down and rub the dog behind the ears.

"What do you think, boy? Will he like me?"

Another happy bark comes from the dog.

"We can only hope," you stand back up and look at Ruby. "So, lets go."

You, Ruby, and Zwei make your way out of the dormitories and to Beacon's docks.

"So, where'd you get that outfit? I've never seen it before," she asks as she eyes your body.

"Oh, well… I found it at my house. It belonged to my dad, actually," you place your right hand on your chest. "I'm not used to this bracer, though. I'll have to practice a little bit before I get used to it."

"Hm, I know what you mean. My hood… it reminds me of my mother. I always keep it with me," she says, reminiscing with you.

"Yeah, and it looks good on you. I remember how weird it was at the dance when you weren't wearing it."

"I felt so naked," Ruby complained, her mind back to a more positive place. "Plus those stupid heels and, ugh, such a terrible night."

"A terrible night, huh?" You sweep your hand to hers and intertwine your fingers. "I'd say it was a pretty good one."

"Oh, uh, yeah, hehe… you did… and we… you know, you're mean!"

"How am I mean?" You chuckle.

"You got me… I…" She turns her head away. "I really like kissing because of you."

"Oh no, if only there was some way to satiate your desires," you end with a coy smile.

"Satiate?" She tilts her head.

"Oh, uh, like, satisfy."

"Ooooh, oh, you're just trying to get kisses," she vigorously points at you.

"I mean, maybe, but if the demand is high I suppose I'll be the sacrifice," you shrug, still smiling at the shorter girl.

"You're such a noble person," she jokingly plays along.

"I know, right? You should spread the word."

"I think it's a secret I'll keep to myself."

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After an uneventful trip through Vale, you and Ruby finally make your way to the docks. You can see the sea in the distance, along with a few ships and dozens of people. You and Ruby approach the last set of lights. Zwei starts barking excitedly and runs across the street.

"Zwei! Come back!" Ruby shouts, dashing away from you and running across the road.

By the time Ruby and Zwei reach the other side, the light turns red and you're stuck on the other side.

"Just come over!" She shouts.

"Don't worry about it," you wave off. "I'll catch up. Go find your dad!"

"Okay! Come on, Zwei," Ruby beckons as she jogs towards the boats.

Zwei swiftly takes the lead, knowing exactly where Tai is. The two find him standing just outside the docking area, scouring for his daughter and dog.

"Dad!" She screams with a joyful tone. "Dad!"

Tai looks to Ruby and smiles.

"There's my little girl!" Tai kneels down to hug his daughter.

The two embrace, holding each other tightly after such a long time separate. Zwei barks, demanding affection for himself too. Tai keeps one hand on Ruby as he rubs the dog's head.

"Hey there, boy. Did you have fun while I was gone?"

Zwei happily barks in response.

"Oh, and, remember how I mentioned somebody was going to walk me here?" Ruby starts, her heart racing with anticipation.

"Oh, yeah, I was wondering where this person was. Is it one of the girls on your team?"

Ruby shakes her head. "Nope. It's… well, I think he'll be here soon."

"He?" Tai raises his brow.

You jog to the docks and look around for Ruby. Tai, looking out for a boy, spots you and goes completely silent. The white jacket, the golden bracer, the facial structure – everything about you reminds Tai of Jet when he was young.

"Jet..?"

You look over at the small group and smile. You jog over to them and stop before Tai. He stands up and stares at you, finally realizing that its not Jet, but (Y/N) Slater.

"(Y/N)… my god, it's been years. You've really grown… and you're wearing your father's clothes!"

"Yeah, it's good to see you again, Tai," you shake his hand. "And yeah, I managed to dig it up. It's kinda cool, if I do say so myself. Well, not actually dig it up. I mean, it was under our house but not in the dirt, so…"

Ruby giggles, though her stomach is still churning. She doesn't know whether to say it right now or not.

"So… I thought (Y/N) could come with us. He's… really cool, you know?"

"Sure! I'd like to hear how you've been doing over the years, (Y/N). Ozpin told me you've finally settled down at Beacon."

Tai leads the four of you to the ferry that leads back to Patch. He's already prepared the tickets for two people, meaning a third ticket must be bought before departure.

"Sure. Why don't we talk about that when we get to Patch. That's probably gonna take a while to talk about," you snicker.

"Of course. Here," Tai reaches into his back pouch and hands you two tickets. "Why don't you and Ruby get on board, get a seat. I'll go get another ticket for myself."

"Oh, I can pay you back for it!"

"Nah, don't worry about it. Go on."

You and Ruby look at each other then back to Tai.

"Got it," you say in unison.

You both approach the ferryman and hand your tickets over. He allows you through with no trouble. Ruby immediately drags you to her favourite spot – it's on the right side of the ship that looks out to the water.

"Oh, I love this spot! Sometimes you can see some fish swim along the surface!" She says with delight.

"Oh, really?" You place your hands on the railing and look over. "I'll keep an eye out for it. So, did you mention beforehand that we're dating, or..?"

Ruby nervously giggles as she looks away. "Well… no. Not yet. I wanted to wait until we're home. Dad might freak out or something. And, hey!" She points at you. "You didn't tell me you knew my dad!"

"Didn't I?" You cross your arms and look to the sky. "Well, my bad if I didn't. But, yeah, I trained with your dad a long time ago. He hasn't changed much… or maybe he has and my memory's terrible. Either one's possible," you end with a shrug.

"Well… just don't say anything until we're at my house. My dad is… over protective. But maybe it'll go over better since you know him!"

"Maybe," you shrug again. "We'll see. Honestly, I think this is gonna be awesome," you turn away from Ruby and lean on the railing. "Kinda like a vacation or something. I mean, I wouldn't vacation in Autumn, but whatever. Just getting away to a small island seems… I don't know, refreshing? Maybe… calming… I don't know," you chuckle at your incompetence. "I'm just happy I can spend a weekend with you, Little Red," you look to her and smile.

She folds in on herself a bit. "I… I'm happy you came."

You rub her head, messing up her hair. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

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Tai leads your group to the clearing where his house resides. You take a look around the area, spotting the wide, open space around the house and the small shack.

"Huh… pretty quaint," you remark.

Ruby and Zwei run up to the house in excitement and leaves you with Tai.

"Huh… guess she hasn't been home in a while."

"It's been a long time. I haven't seen her or Yang in some time…" Tai says with a clear hint of sadness. "But I'm happy she's home. Do you like tea?"

"Uh… I don't know. Sure?"

"You haven't had tea before, have you?"

"I haven't had tea before," you confirm.

Tai chuckles. "Well, let me make you your first cup. I'm sure Ruby will be eager to show you around the house."

"Of course."

You and Tai walk to the house and enter through the open door Ruby left for you. Tai closes it behind him and heads to the kitchen.

"It'll take a few minutes. Ruby! Why not show (Y/N) around?"

Ruby speeds down the stairs, stopping right in front of you. Her hands cup yours, her smile is bright.

"Oh, come on! You can see my collection of Grimm statues?" She says whilst dragging you towards the stairs.

"You have those?"

"Keep the door open, young lady," Tai shouts from the kitchen.

"I know, dad!"

She brings you up the stairs and down the hall. There are a few doors leading to a bathroom, a spare room, and two bedrooms. Ruby leads you to the very end of the hallway. The door's already open, making you think Ruby was already in here today. You're suspicions are confirmed when you spot the hastily made bed. You're unsure why the bed would need to be made anyway. If she hasn't been here then who used the bed? Why did it need to be made? These are questions you'll keep to yourself.

Ruby stops when you're both in the room but keeps her hand intertwined with yours.

"Yang and I shared a room! But I guess it's been empty since we've been at Beacon. Dad'll probably make you sleep in the spare room," you pouts.

"What? You wanted me to sleep in the same room?"

"Well, yeah!" She says without seeing the issue. "I mean, we stayed up and talked all the time. Remember that one time I read to you and you fell asleep," Ruby begins giggling at the thought. "You always looked so… well…" Her cheeks redden. "You looked really cute when you were sleeping."

"Well, I prefer the macho, sexy look," you say, puffing out your chest.

"Mm… I don't think you're hitting that."

"You know what, I didn't ask you so you can just zippity zip it!" You snappily respond, swiftly placing your hand beside Ruby's mouth and dragging them across.

"Mhmhhhmmmmhmm," she moans instead of speaking.

"Haha, I've done what Weiss never could! Take that, Heiress!" You proudfully say… then think on those words for another moment. "Actually, I can do a lot of things that she can't do. Like teleport… or pee standing up… or date Little Red."

Ruby nods her head as you list off each one, though she shivers in disgust at the second. "Mhm. Hmmhmhmhhmmmmhhhhhmmmmmmm!"

You tilt your head to the side and raise a brow, becoming, in Ruby's opinion, extra cute.

"I wonder if people want to do this to me?"

"Pmhm," she nods.

"Hey! Don't think I can't understand your moaning!"

You can hear Ruby giggle, even with her mouth "locked." She points to her mouth and puts on some puppy dog eyes.

"Oh… oh, that's a first, ah, so cute, no, turn it off!" You dramatically attempt to obstruct your view.

This fails to work and you're hypnotized by her appearance. You pout before zipping your hand across her lips. She places a hand on her chest and breathes heavily.

"I thought I was going to die. I saw the light! It was so bright! My head, it was hurting."

"You're mocking me."

"No, you inspire me," she bats her eyelashes.

"Who are you and how'd you become so demonic?" You vigorously point at the young girl.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm daddy's little girl. Right dad?" She shouts.

"Of course, dear!" Tai immediately responds.

"Why do I feel like this was all planned," you huff, leaning over.

Ruby quickly places a kiss on your cheek, then cutely tilts her head.

"It's okay. I'll make it up to you. I have a hidden stash of cookies under Weiss' bed. Don't tell the team," she leans a tad closer and whispers.

"Heh…" You take a few steps back and lean against the windowsill. "I remember once I told Jaune I ate your cookies."

"With my permission?" She questions with a stressed look.

"No, I mean… actually… yeah, of course. Always with your permission." You nervously laugh it off and shrug. "What do you take me for some kind of… non-consent cookie eater…" You sigh, placing a hand over your mouth. "Don't do this in her house!" You moan to yourself.

"Hm… you seem really nervous. Is my dad making you nervous?" She asks before hopping beside you and mimicking your stance.

"Oh, no. Just me being me, you know?"

"Slater slating?" She giggles.

"Yeah," you chuckle. "Something like that. Just not sure what I'm supposed to talk to him about. It's been years since I last saw him. Maybe, like, 'Hey, I'm baaaaaaaa-'" You spot Tai walk in with a tray sporting three cups of tea.

"You're what?" Both he and Ruby ask.

"Baaaaaa… aaaaa… banning your daughter from harm. That's what I do. Ban her from harm. Harm comes around and I'm like, 'Nope, away, harm! This is a harm free zone!'" You act out it out in the middle of the room. "Like, we go out a lot. Missions, I mean, not casually. I mean we do that too sometimes or else she wouldn't have invited me. Then again I'm usually the one getting into trouble so maybe she should take over the job. Not that she's a bad protector or anything, but…" Your eyes dart back and forth between Tai and Ruby. Both are looking at you like you're crazy, but both still show signs of amusement. "Eh…" You roll your shoulder. "Nevermind."

Tai chuckles as he walks into the room, gesturing to Ruby for her to grab a cup. "Everything I've heard was right," Tai chuckles as he approaches you. "You're definitely a stand-up character. It's no wonder you leave a lasting impression. Here," he holds the tray in front of him.

You grab a cup of tea and smile. "Well, I'm not surprised… wait, you've kept tabs on me all this time?"

"How could I not? A fight in Vale, discovering a new Grimm, confronting… Harrier," it's clear that his name is even difficult for Tai to say. "And surviving Merlot's monstrosities… well, your time at Beacon has been eventful. Ozpin talks proudly about you."

Ruby and Tai notice your entire demeanor lighten up after that comment.

"Wait, really? Huh… I didn't know. I mean, of course, I am slating quite often," you proudly say before taking a sip of the tea.

"I also heard you've become more of a troublemaker since you've unlocked your Semblance. Like how you forget to use the door."

Your eyes widen then slowly close. "Mmmm… Glynda?"

"All of them."

"Mmmmmm…. I still know how to use a door."

"I haven't seen him use on in a while," Ruby finally adds to the conversation.

"Gah, Little Red! How could you be- actually it's your dad, so… fair enough," you roll your eyes. "What about you, Tai? What've you been up to these past few years?"

Tai thinks on this as he takes a drink. "Well… I've been teaching at Signal and going on missions whenever I'm needed. I've been working harder nowadays since I'm all alone at the house," he says, rolling his head to glance at Ruby.

"You can't guilt-trip me! You have Zwei!" She swiftly defends herself.

"I was meant to have my little girl for another two years, but she abandoned me for Beacon," he recites.

"You've done this a million times, dad, it doesn't work anymore."

You and Tai laugh in response, making Ruby nervous. "Hey, don't laugh with him! You haven't had to hear it over and over!"

After a few moments of laughter, Tai turns to you.

"Well, since you're staying for dinner, how would you feel about some steak? I've he-"

"Yes," you cut him off. "I don't care what you've heard, it's been robbed from me for too long! We're safe here. Nothing that steal it."

"Well, okay," Tai chuckles. "Ruby, why don't you show (Y/N) around the island while I get everything started. Just be back by sundown."

"Okay! Come on! I wanna show you all my spots!" Ruby runs out of the room and to the door.

You _**leap**_ beside her and in front of your shoes.

"Gah! Oh, man, I wasn't expecting that," she places a hand on her chest.

"Yeah, well, I like to be unpredictable," you joke as you slip your feet into the boots.

It takes you longer than Ruby since you're not quite used to wearing these as compared to your regular shoes. Once both you are ready, you head out with Ruby leading the way.

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Dylan looks to the skies as the Atlas cruisers watch over the school and the floating coliseum. In a few days the Vytal Festival will begin. It'll be the first time in a long time where he'll fight seriously against another Huntsmen. The last one he fought was his sister back when you and he intercepted a train. That clearly didn't go in his favour, but that was some time ago. He has more to fight for now… especially now.

"You brood a lot, you know?" Blake remarks as she stops beside Dylan. "Staring off at nothing and thinking."

"You read a lot. Staring at words and fanaticizing. Granted, yours is healthier than mine."

"Mm, in some ways," she inwardly smiles at her secret hobby. "I'm guessing you're thinking on the tournament? Worried?"

"Of course not. If anything, I won't have to fight. Knowing Slater he'll say something like, 'Come on, Dylan, just let my fight them on my own! It'll be so much fun! Two minutes, please?'" He mocks your mannerism to the T, making Blake laugh.

"I can see that, yes. I can also see you two making it far. You're both quite skilled."

"But we're only two people. There's only so much we can do as opposed to your four person team. But that's a conversation for another time," Dylan stretches his arms out. "I believe I promised you a fish dinner."

Blake slightly drools at the thought of the dinner. Dylan chuckles at the reaction though he's holding in the same emotion.

"Come on. I hear he's going to be vending on the tournament grounds, so that's a plus."

"Don't tell me these things! I don't need my temptations overwhelming me," Blake whines.

"I'm sure I'll keep you in line. Besides, we can cool off in my dorm. With Slater gone I'm alone."

Blake crosses her arms and leans forward.

"Are you trying to insinuate something? Just because we're together doesn't mean-" She notices Dylan holding in a laugh as she rants.. She shakes her head. "I know, I know, I'd rather be there too."

"My thoughts exactly."

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"And I was all like, hyaaa, hiya!" Ruby acts out swinging her scythe as you walk across a large field. "They didn't stand a chance against me," she proudly finishes.

"Mm, I bet. What Beowolf could even stand a chance against you? Then again… I do remember those Mutated Beowolves giving you some trouble," you coyly remark.

"Whaaaat? I totally kicked their Beo-butt!"

"Hehe, Beo-butt," you shake your head. "I have to remember that one, Little Red. You know, if I am staying over I'll have to remember to lock the door in your house. I might end up showing someone… else… mm…"

"Showing what?"

"Oh… hehe…" You nervously rub your neck. "Okay, so, promise not to get mad?"

"What did you do?" She disappointedly replies.

"Well… so, I went to change my clothes… so I took off my clothes. I was naked…"

"Oh… (Y/N)…" Ruby shakes her head.

"So… you know," you continue. "Glynda saw me…"

"Wait, Ms. Goodwitch?"

"And Dylan… and Weiss…" You list off with utter shame.

You and Ruby halt in place and stare at each other. You're honestly unsure how she'll respond. Scream? Whine? Cry? Something that'll requ-

"Pfft, hahahahaha," Ruby places her hands on her stomach as she laughs. "You showed… oh god… eww, but, ahahaha."

"Wow, that's not what I expected. You're not mad?"

Ruby attempts to shake her head despite her gutwrenching laughter. "No, no, it's funny. But, aaah," she wipes a tear from her eye. "I think you owe me with a story and a piggyback."

"I… mm… fine, that's fair. Hop on." You bend down and let Ruby hop on your back. Her legs wrap around you and her face nuzzles into your neck. Her soft skin rubbing against yours is a pleasant sensation that sends a tingle down your spine. Funny enough, she's far lighter than she ever was before.

"Mm, I like this," she yawns. "So, how exactly did this happen?"

"Well…"

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Tai places three sets of plates, cups and cutlery on the table. The sun's setting and stomachs are rumbling. Mostly Tai's. As he sets the last knife down he hears the front door open.

"Ruby? (Y/N)?"

"Shh," your voice echoes to the kitchen. "She's sleeping."

Tai pokes his head around the corner and spots Ruby snoring away on your back. Tai crosses his arms and sighs.

"Aw, I made food for three of us. Well, if she's sleeping then she's sleeping," he shrugs. "Take her up to her room. I'll put her food away."

"Got it."

You slip out of your boots before embarking upstairs. You carry the sleeping student to her room and rest her on the bed. You take a step back and start pondering.

 _Do I just leave her like that? She's got all her clothes on… I mean, I sleep with my clothes on. Then again, undressing her might not be the best. I'll just take off her boots and leave her._

You gently pull her boots off and bring them downstairs. You set them down beside yours, making sure both sets are in the proper location, then head for the kitchen. Tai is placing down the food on your two plates. A juicy steak, steaming potatoes and veggies, everything a meal should be. You drool at the sight of such utter beauty. You bolt to the chair, almost knocking it and yourself over while taking a seat.

"Whoa, calm down," Tai chuckles as he takes his seat.

"You don't know, Tai… you don't know," you repeat, true pain emenating in your eyes. You turn to the steak and grab both utensils. The speed and power with which you grab them makes both fly into the air. "Gah! Egiebi, gaga, no!" Your hands knock them around over and over until you finally catch them. Tai watches you with confusion, to which you respond with a chuckle. Your goal is clear however. With your tools in hand you focus on the beautiful piece of meat infront of you. "Now there's nothing left to get in my way… nothing…"

In brown and white flash, your steak is swiped off the table by a devious corgi.

"What? No! No!" You desperately search for your lost meat which you quickly realize is in the mouth of Zwei. "NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" You collapse on the floor in a puddle of your own tears. "You're worse than the Grimm… this world has forsaken me. There's no reason to live anymore."

Tai watches with a mix of confusion, amusement, and sadness. "Wow… they really weren't kidding. Zwei, that wasn't yours!" He turns to the corgi.

"It's fine… I'll come out triumphant one day."

"There's still Ruby's. I'm sure she-"

"No, I cannot," you stand up with a new sense of purpose. "I have lost the chance this day… I shall not lose again!"

"R-Right…"

You take your seat and start poking at the rest of the food on your plate. "I'll eat this. Thank you for the meal, Tai. I honestly wasn't… well… I don't know."

"So," he swallows his piece of steak. "When were you two gonna tell me?"

You freeze up, eyes going wide, muscles tensing. "Um… what?"

"Oh, come on. The way she looks at you is a dead giveaway… and Ozpin told me, but I'd have been able to figure it out."

"You… knew the whole time?"

"Of course," he chuckles. "What? Did they tell you I'd chase you off the island or something?"

"Eh… no, but-"

"I would, you know," he adds with a deathly serious tone.

"Oh… um… that's cool," you shakily respond, sweat building. "Are you really gonna-"

"No, don't worry. I wouldn't here the end of it from Ruby if I did. I have to admit, I was surprised when I heard my little girl found a boy. I was even more surprised when it wasn't Yang," he sniggers to himself. "But I've also heard what you've done for her… and, like I said, I see the way she looks at you… It's the way…" His mind trails off into the past, if only momentarily. "Well, I can tell she cares. I feel it would be more trouble to threaten you than leave you be."

You take a few bites as he talks, your eyes glued to his with a nervous taint. "So… do I ask for a blessing or something?"

Tai chuckles. "If that's what you want, then yes. Well… lets say there's a condition."

"A condition?" You raise your brow. "Like what?"

"After dinner we're gonna go a few rounds… just to make sure you've been training properly."

A smile creeps onto your face. "Yeah, definitely," you nod. "I'll kick your butt!"

"Careful there, (Y/N)."

"Sorry sir," you quickly shrink.

 **You know what this means? Mhm, Volume 3 officially starts next chapter. I'm really excited, but I also feel like it'll go by pretty fast. I'm not re-writing fights that aren't changed… which is kinda like half of Volume 3. I'm honestly trying not to talk about it so I don't spoil anything… so I'll stop right here!**

 **I'm also enjoying the OCs you guys are submitting. Again, the contest ends at the end of the month. If you haven't submitted your OC then please do so! Or not… I mean, there are so many and it's heartwrenching to know I'll only be selecting three. I have a few I'm really interested in and I can already tell you I'll be changing some things. Not much, but a little bit. Can't be helped. I told everyone there'll probably be changes, so… just expect it, okay. I don't want anyone being mad at me for changing a few things. Even still, I love all the creativity and passion in these OCs. It's awesome. But I'm gonna keep rambling so I'll stop.**

 **I also compromised my integrity to make an inside joke that a few of you will understand. By a few I mean, like, two. I did that for you… I put that stupid line in for you so I hope you're happy. Anyway, all that aside, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the future. Volume 3 is gonna be great. I can't wait to show you all what I have planned!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **If you REALLY like me you could consider supporting me on . You can make a request for any stories you want! Of course it's optional but it helps. Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!**

 **A special thank you to supporters: Manuel Garcia, Ride The Lightning, James Tubbs, and Sassylemons**


	35. Chapter 35: The Moment

**Chapter 35: The Moment You've All Been Waiting For!**

In all the time you've known Ruby, you can't remember a scenario where she wore her hood. The entire cloak, yeah, but rarely has she covered her head with the red fabric. But now she has. You and Ruby traverse the beautiful environment of Patch with a specific goal in mind. Tai said he'll catch up to see you off. To save him some lien, you offered to just teleport the two of you back. You could have just teleported to the grave but taking the extra time to walk and talk seemed to be preferable for Ruby and Tai. Finally, you reach the edge of a cliff where a headstone resides.

You and Ruby stop a few feet away. She takes a deep breath, preparing for this meeting.

"I'll wait here. You go ahead, okay?"

Ruby grabs your arm and shakes her head. "No… I want you to come with me," she looks up at you, her silver eyes glistening. "Please."

"Heh… yeah, of course," you nod. "Let's go."

With her arm wrapped around yours, you approach the headstone. The sun beams brightly overhead, birds happily chirp to one another, everything is just peaceful and proper for the scenario. Ruby takes her hand back and slip her hood down her hair and rest behind her head.

"Hey mom… sorry I haven't come by in a while," she moves her hands behind her waist. "Things have been… well things have been pretty busy. I brought someone," she looks over at you for a moment. "He's, eh… hehe… he's my boyfriend. Dad's given him a rough time this weekend. I think he enjoys this part of parenting, though… but I think he wanted to do it with you… I… miss you, mom…"

You keep silent, not wanting to interrupt Ruby speaking to her mother. She shifts her hands in front of her and starts swinging her hips forward. "Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet… so that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. I keep her in line." You refrain from scoffing at that statement, considering everything Yang ends up doing. "That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter! You can tell she's learned a lot from dad. Well, so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates. Together we form team RWBY… and yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion."

By the tone of her voice and way her movements are, you can tell Ruby has drifted into her own little world. She doesn't even recognize you beside her anymore, which you can't blame her for. You've been in a similar situation, yet you don't tend to talk to your deceased parents. Perhaps that's something you'll try. Though, that's an acquired taste. Generally you just stare at names and contemplate their deaths and what they mean to you. Sometimes you don't think at all and just feel rain drops fall against your skin or wind dance along your clothes. This is a little more interactive and possibly cathartic. You're not one to spill your guts out to anyone, even close friends like Dylan or Ruby. Speaking your mind to your parents' grave might be-

Your train of thought is halted when Zwei's bark echoes from behind you. Both you and Ruby look back at him, both recognizing his interruption.

"Oh, looks like dad's back! He's gonna see us off before we start our tournament matches! Wish me luck!" She turns to you and nudges you.

"Oh, uh… it was nice meeting you, Ms. Rose. I, uh… um… yeah…"

Ruby huffs in a playful way. "You're silly. Come on!" She does her hood back up and starts jogging to Zwei and Tai. You _**leap**_ there, standing beside Tai as Ruby runs to you both.

"You just teleported for a three-second walk?" Tai points out.

"Meh, I'll get my exercise soon," you say, watching Ruby turn back to whisper something.

"Are you two sure you don't want me to drop you off?" Tai asks as your small group starts walking into the forested area.

"It's okay, Tai," you shake your head. "We'll be fine. Besides, you got a mission to go to, right?"

"True, but I always make time for my girls," Tai rubs his hand on Ruby's hooded head.

"Ah, daaaad," she whines.

Tai laughs in response. "But I suppose you're right. But, I'll cherish the time it takes for us to walk to the docks. I do wish you both the best in your fights. I know you'll knock it out of the park!"

"Of course I will," Ruby puffs her chest with a prideful voice.

"You can't even beat me," you murmur.

"Gibigaba, shhh, I can so!"

You and Tai both share a glance. He trained with you last night, he saw some of what you're capable of. Couple that with what he's heard from Ozpin and, even if she's his little girl, he knows she isn't on your level just yet. Besides, your Semblance can completely counter hers and it takes less stamina and Aura to use.

"Jeez, you're hanging out with me too much, Little Red. You're starting to sound like me," you poke fun at.

"Well… that's not my fault!"

"How is that not your fault? I remember you'd be the one coming to my dorm."

"You came to my dorm too!"

"Not just for you."

"Hey!"

"I-I mean, of course just for you! But you never came for Dylan."

"Well, maybe I like him more than you now."

"WHAT? No way! Why? He's done nothing for you."

"He doesn't sass me."

"Your entire team sasses you!"

"They do not!"

"Do too!"

Tai shakes his head and chuckles at the petty squabble. In truth, you sound like boyfriend and girlfriend even when you don't mean it. He should be annoyed, maybe even over protective, but hearing this reminds him of his days at Beacon Academy all that time ago. Though now he sees how silly and unimportant it was compared to how severe he believed it was back then. But, he deals with it, even as you both go back and forth all the way through the forest and to the docks.

"Well I never said I didn't like dogs, I just haven't seen Zwei that much."

"But he's always in our room!"

"I'm not always in your room!"

"That's not what Weiss says."

"You're gonna believe her over me? How cold!"

"She's more trustworthy than you'll ever be!"

You gasp, placing your hand on your chest. "How dare you, vile Grimm! I'll have you know I'm THE most trustworthy person around."

"You leave everyone behind all the time!"

"Because I trust they'll be fine," you extravagantly say, head shaking and eyes closed.

"No, you don't!"

"We're here," Tai cuts in.

"Huh?" You both question as you take in your surroundings. "Oh, that's cool."

You both stop and look at each other, surprised you said the same thing. Seconds later you break out into laughter, entertained by the spontaneous event. Tai shakes his head with a smile.

"Well, Ruby, I'm happy I could see you. Say hello to your sister for me and good luck in the tournament!"

"Thanks, dad!" Tai kneels down and hugs his daughter, then kisses her head before standing up again.

"And you, (Y/N), it was good to see you all grown up."

"Same here, Tai. I have to thank you for the rounds. You got me used to my weight," you hop up and down then smile.

"Your weight?" Ruby cocks her head to the side.

"Nothing! Nothing!" You rapidly wave your hands before you. "Don't worry about it. I was just… getting fat?"

"That was a question."

"I don't know what you're talking about?" You shrug. "And that was definitely a statement."

Zwei responds in his own way, getting everyone's attention.

"See, even Zwei agrees with me – steak stealing thief," you mumble. "Anyway, we should go. The tournament starts in a few hours. Grab Zwei."

As Ruby kneels down to pick up her corgi you close your eyes and focus on Beacon. You slide across the water, soar in the air, graze across stone, and finally stand in your dormitory.

"Ready?" You whisper, eyes still closed.

Ruby places her hand on your shoulder. "Yep. See ya, dad! I love you!"

"Love you too, swe-" Before his sentence could finish you, Ruby, and Zwei disappear, leaving shadows behind that quickly dissipates. "Mm…"

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You appear right at your door.

"Eh, that's still weird. My spine's all tingly," Ruby shivers.

"Everyone says that," you chuckle. "I don't feel it, honestly. Or maybe I got used to it. Not sure. Anyway, I'll talk to you later, Little Red. We gotta get ready for the tournament!"

"Right!" Ruby sets Zwei down then looks up at you. "I'll… uh…"

Before she can react, you lean down and place a tender kiss on her lips. She completely melts into it, almost falling forward. You lean back and smile at her. "We'll chat later. Maybe celebrate our teams' victory?"

"But we haven't… ooooh, yeah! We will!" She says, her blood pumping.

"Perfect. Now skedaddle. I gotta get ready too," you wave to her before turning to your door.

Ruby and Zwei run down the hall as you enter your room. Conveniently, Dylan's preparing in your dorm. He isn't dressed for combat, but he rarely is. You can tell he ironed his red shirt and grey jacket, though. They're too crisp. Though, calling it a jacket is still insulting to yours as his ends at his elbows, but that's to make room for his weapon. It does make you smile when you see he's wearing brown jeans instead of khakis.

"Taking notes from your good buddy (Y/N), huh?"

Dylan adjusts Zephyr Shale on his wrists, locking them into place. He doesn't bother looking at you when he responds. "It was all I had… and someone bought them for me."

"Blake?" You ask with a smirk, inching closer to him.

"That's not your concern. Are you prepared for the tournament? We're the first match."

"Wait, really?" Your eyes light up.

Dylan begins to turn but you _**step**_ in front of him, eyes still glowing. "Who are we fighting? Is it RWBY?"

"You… want to fight them?"

"Well, I think it'd be kinda funny," you take a step back and cross your arms. "But I guess neither of us needs that. Do you know who we're fighting?"

Dylan shakes his head as he locks the last piece in place. "I do not. But we're supposed to be there earlier than the others. I'm taking the next flight to the stadium. You can make it there any time, so… do what you will."

"Sure. I might take a na-"

"No. You'll never make it if you sleep," he quickly says whilst walking to the door. "Perhaps some light exercises to warm yourself up would work?"

"I'll figure something out. I'll see you there, Dylan," you wave.

Your Faunus friend closes the door behind him and leaves you on your own. It's different to have a little alone time. At Ruby's, you had her, Zwei, or Tai with you all the time. Now you have peace and quiet… and you kinda hate it. It's so quiet that you can hear the buzzing sound of silence. It's almost maddening.

"Gah, this sucks," you stretch your arms out. "I need something to do. Something to relieve this boredom. I'm getting stressed… stressed from boredom. It's only been a few seconds. Am I going insane?" You rustle your own hair. "God, please, give me something-" Your eyes look to the bathroom as an idea pops into your mind. "Heh… hehe- no, bad (Y/N), you have a girlfriend. Wait, am I not allowed to when I'm dating? I never actually… then again I never took relationships seriously before now. Whoops, better not let Rogue hear that. She'll beat the crap outta me," you chuckle. "Hm… well, I'm back, so maybe I should see Ozpin. I wonder if he's busy."

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You appear in Ozpin's office, but unfortunately, you're the only one there. You place your hands on your hips and huff. "Well, that makes this harder. Wait…" You pass the desk and stop in front of the window. "Whoa…"

The grand coliseum hovers beautifully in the sky with various ships flying around it. Some of them are civilian while others are Atlas military.

"Wow… there's a lot of Atlas, actually. When did they all get here?" Your eyes follow the line of ships in the sky and your mind wanders. In truth, you don't know how long you end up watching each ship hover in place or soar through the air. You don't even notice the elevator's ring or the door's slow opening. Ozpin, cane and coffee in hand, immediately spots you.

"Ah, (Y/N), how wonderful to see you. How was your weekend?"

You keep one hand on the glass as you turn to face him. "Oh, jeez… hey, Ozpin. You kinda scared me," you chuckle. "Lots of fun, actually. I'm ready to win for Vale," you chuckle. "Though… this isn't what I expected to see," you look back out the window.

Ozpin saunters beside you, resting his cane in place as if it's an anchor. "Indeed, though it's not my decision."

"It was Ironwood's?" You look to Ozpin.

"It… was some political business you shouldn't worry about," he replies with a soft smile. "You should be focused on the tournament."

"Oh, I will be, but…" You tap your fingers on the glass. "Why so many ships? It looks like martial law or something… or we're preparing for war. I don't mind, I'm pretty sure I could outdo an army of robots so…" You trail off, not really having a point. "I mean, why are they here?" You look to Ozpin once more. "We have an army of Huntsmen, practically. Do they think we need more than that?"

Ozpin inwardly smiles at your analysis. Most people who don't know you like he, Glynda or other teachers at Beacon, see you and assume you're a loudmouth who charges in head first without thinking. While there is truth to that, you also have the capability to analyze and break down a situation both in and out of combat. You're a genius in your own twisted way, but that way works for you and that's all that matters. A strong arm, a savvy mind, and a kind heart.

"The qualities of a leader…" Ozpin thinks aloud.

"What?"

"Oh, my apologies. Lost in thought. You are correct, (Y/N). An army like this could raise panic in the citizens."

"Which brings Grimm. Well, at least we have an army," you shrug. "And me," you add with a snicker.

"So two armies?" Ozpin plays along.

"Hehe, exactly," you flash a smile. "But I guess it doesn't really matter. Those robots don't measure up to a Huntsmen. It'd take, like, a hundred to take down one of us. Besides, our Auras can take a shot or two."

"How do you know all this? Have you combatted them before?"

Your mind flashes back to two different scenarios where you battled Atlas robots. One was for training in Atlas, one was for training with… well, a teacher who wasn't too fond of them. Considering how easy they were to deal with back then, you can't imagine them even standing a chance against you now, especially thanks to your Semblance.

"Ah, you know… just guessing," you nervously laugh it off. "But, you know, whatever. Just thought it was strange. But that means more people can see just how great I'll be!" You proudly say.

"You do know it's broadcasted to all the kingdoms…"

"Oh… yeah, I remember!" You quickly cover up. "But still, I wanna show off a little bit. I got a few new tricks up my sleeve."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Mhm. Mhm," you proudly nod. "Tai helped me out a bunch."

"Then why aren't you there?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Ozpin chuckles before turning to his desk and clicking his computer. The screen lights up, showing Dr. Oobleck and Professor Port introducing everyone to the first round of the Vytal Festival. The camera pans to the first contestants… and Dylan is shown.

"GAH!? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN HERE?" You jump in place. "I gotta go! I gotta- we'll talk later!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dylan shakes head as his waits on stage. "I told him to be here…" He huffs under his breath.

The Faunus looks to the stands and spots RWBY, JNPR, and all his other friends. He can even hear a certain young Faunus cheering for him.

"YEAH! GO DYLAN! HE'S THE BEST! KICK THEIR BUTTS, DYLAN!" Anut cheers, throwing her hands around wildly and jumping.

This puts a smile on Dylan's face. Normally he doesn't like being the center of attention, but there's something about this setting. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are cheering for the battle to begin. The varied colours of clothing all make a beautiful sight in the stands.

"Now, the first round of the Vytal Festival will begin… as soon as (Y/N) Slater arrives…" Port tiredly says.

"Why is it always (Y/N) that's late?" Yang asks.

"Or too early," Weiss sneers, her mind returning to the last time she saw you.

"He'll be here," Ruby confidently smiles.

Even Cinder's little group watches from the stands, including a disguised Neo. She's anticipating your arrival and fight just as much as Ruby is.

As the hooded girl predicted, a collection of shadows burst in the air. You fall down, laughing and shouting as you extravagantly flip your body. You curl up in a ball, spinning faster, then connect with the ground, slamming your fist on the solid metal to strike a pose.

"Hehe… that was so cool."

"No, it wasn't."

"SHUT UP, DYLAN!" You stand up and yell. "What would you know about arriving in a cool fashion?"

"You're not even fashionably late. There was nothing fashionable about that. Where were you?"

"Oh, hehe…" You rub the back of your head. "You know… Slater stuff."

"Don't you dare say it."

You cross your arms and pout. "Fine…"

"Aha! He's arrived! Now, you may notice this is a two on four! Yes, we're starting off with quite the odd match up!" Port starts.

"But don't think either has the advantage. Both Dylan Brine and (Y/N) Slater have proven to be most competent fighters. They've been given this chance to prove themselves against-"

"Oh yeah, who are we…" You look across the octagonal platform and notice your opponents. "GAH!" You ball back, causing Dylan to sigh.

"Team ORKD!"

Your four friends stand at the ready, Kin and Rogue have excited smiles on their faces while Onyx and Dior are either timid or uninterested. Kin is the only one with a different outfit – donning a traditional, sleeveless black gi instead of his suit.

"No, wait!" You hop back onto your feet. "This is great! Other than Rogue… Dylan, I may die here."

"I'll be sure to mourn you."

"Thanks," you pat his shoulder. "You're great. Anyway, I need a favour."

"Here we go," he rolls his eyes.

"Hey, don't be like that! Look, just give me a little time to… test the waters, you know? Don't want you going in there blind."

"You want me to stay back?" He clarifies with annoyance. "And let you do it on your own?

"Come on, Dylan, just let me fight them on my own! It'll be so much fun! Two minutes, please?" You clap your hands together and bow. "It's all I'm asking!"

In the stands, Blake starts laughing.

"What's funny?" Yang tilts her head.

"Oh, nothing… nothing at all."

Dylan shakes his head upon hearing Blake's laughter. "Very well. Two minutes. After that, I'll intervene."

"Haha, you're the best!"

The sides of your platform project holograms that present themselves like slot machines. They roll, pictures rapidly spinning as the environment is chosen. You start stretching from side to side, a smile on your face.

"It's been a while since we sparred," you shout to your friends.

"Indeed! You know I'm giving you my all!" Kin chuckles, rolling his shoulder. "We all will. You won't beat us, no matter how much time has passed."

You snicker at his comment.

 _Last time I went against them on my own it was a tie… well, the time ran out. But I'm definitely a lot stronger and have my Semblance. Plus I know exactly what you guys can do… no way I'm losing this._

The slots slow to a stop, showing a broken city on your side and a forest on theirs. The outskirts of the arena change accordingly to the choices, finally setting the stage.

"Now, let the first round of the Vytal Festival… begin!" Port sounds off.

Dylan immediately forms a small platform of water below him and lifts himself into the air, away from the fight.

"It seems that Dylan Brine has taken the high ground at the start! What plans do they have?"

At the same time, ORKD already has a plan they're following through with. Dior and Onyx retreat into the forest while Rogue and Kin run towards you. This is a predictable tactic for someone who knows their team.

 _Dior can't fight, so he'll take a position near the back and support everyone. Onyx will snipe me with his bow while Kin and Rogue keep my attention. Lucky for me, I'm not so easily distracted._

You attract your sheath to your hand and sprint towards the powerhouses of ORKD. Dylan crosses his arms and watches from above as a liquid hourglass slowly drains away.

"Let's see how you do, (Y/N)."

You dash from side to side, knowing Onyx will be trying to get a shot on you already. Your speed is noticeably increased since the last time anyone saw you, and, unlike your trails with Tai, you aren't tripping over yourself. Your movements are actually more precise than ever, and anyone who truly knows your fighting style can tell.

Rogue slows down to let Kin deal the first blow, then to follow up with him. You burst off your right foot and attack Kin. His arm metalizes as he clashes with your blade, your smiles radiating brightly as your eyes meet. As much as you'd love to sit here and fight Kin, you'd be at a major disadvantage if you tried to take on all four of them at once. It'd be a nice challenge, but you want to guarantee a win in the tournament. You push Kin's arm towards his body, then kick off his ribs, knocking him off balance and launching yourself towards Rogue. She twirls her sais in her hands as you roll across the ground then jump towards her. You tightly grip your blade, ready to slash. She goes to parry but before she can move your figure dissipates in shadow and a heel connects with her jaw. You follow through with your motion, kicking her to the ground and landing a few feet before her. Immediately, you lean back to avoid one of Onyx's arrows. You can't see him as he's slightly deeper in the forest, but you're sure his keen eyes have met with yours.

You spin your sword as you start running towards the forest.

"Heads up, (Y/N)!" Kin's booming voice warms as he drops down on you with his hardened fist.

You barely manage to kick back and avoid it, but the shockwave pushes you farther than you intended. In fact, it pushes you right into two Rogues. They arc their inner arms to impale your back. To counter, you straighten your body and slide right between the twins. You skid across the ground, sword at your side, then sprint forward to attack. They both turn around and ready themselves for your assault. You skip to the right then dash forward, spinning and kicking one of the Rogues. She blocks it with her forearm, stopping your momentum and giving the other one an opportunity to attack. Since she's thrusting, you toss your sword to your left hand and stab downwards, right between the main blade and one of the prongs. It, in turn, stops her momentum.

At the same time, Dior finds a small clearing near the edge of the forest.

"This should be fine," he mumbles as he kneels down.

He opens his briefcase and flattens it along the artificial grass. It takes root, forming a small computer, defenses, and weapon options for him. "Just like Onyx said… okay. Everyone, you should b-be able to hear me now," Dior speaks to his computer. "I have everyone's he-heat signature identified. They won't hide from us. I'll k-k-keep you covered from here."

As you hover in the air with the two Rogues, the rest of team ORKD hears Dior. None of them say a word, but they know the tactical advantage is theirs. Onyx, from the trees, pulls back an arrow and fires it at your suspended body. Hearing the object cutting through the air, you slide your palm onto the flat side of your hilt, grab it the best you can, and haul your body up as if you're doing a handstand. This moves yourself out of the way of the arrow, but the two Rogues and Kin are readying another attack. You pull your blade up, making yourself fall somewhat, then use your free hand to push off the closest Rogue's shoulder and push her, both knocking her off balance and flipping you onto your feet. You immediately slide to the right, avoiding another of Onyx's arrows. Three more fly at you which you expertly cut down mid-air, then rush towards the two Rogues. They've since recovered and are ready for your attack. You slash horizontally which incites a downward thrust from the both, spinning your blade slightly and locking it between four sets of sais.

"See, you were always holding me down," you lightheartedly chuckle.

"Realizations are gonna hit you hard," they say in unison, a smirk on each of their faces.

"Is that supposed to be a-" You hear footsteps from beside you and realize their meaning you instantly let go of your blade and _**step**_ a foot to the right, passing Kin and his charged fist.

He swings at shadows, completely missing, which gives you the chance to step beside the girls, kneeling down, and grab your blade. You slide it out from their sais then spin around and sweep the closest Rogue's legs. You stand up to her level and, with your right arm already crossing your body, you tighten your arm and drive your elbow into Rogue's ribs. She slams into the other one, locking them both on the ground momentarily.

"My, my, it seems the young Slater is really holding his own against them!" Port announces.

"Yes, but how long can he last fighting four people at once. And why is his teammate simply watching? Many questions linger over this battle," Oobleck adds.

Of course, that leaves Kin open to attack you. He runs towards you, his arm charged, and swings. You slice at his metalized arm, clashing with such power that is shakes your surroundings. You and Kin smile at each other, sweat dripping down both of your faces. Your muscles are shaking as they're put up against his overwhelming might. This distracts you enough for Onyx to shoot two well-placed arrows into your shoulder and knee, completely ruining your stance.

"It seems that Onyx Nale has taken advantage of his teammate's opening! How will the bashful brute, Kin Maru, respond?"

Kin grabs your throat with his other arm, metalizing that hand to secure his grip. He lifts you into the air, your legs dangling, then slams you into the floor, drags you around then throws you towards the forest. Before you can recover, four more arrows are let loose from the forest and connect with your back. To make it worse, they all explode on contact. You slam against the ground, bouncing twice before stopping. You push off the ground and shake your head.

"Sheesh, who uses coordination nowadays?" You get to your feet then crack your neck.

Kin and Rogue reunite while Onyx has you in his sights.

"And I can imagine Dior's sitting in the ba-" You stop talking as you feel something grip your ankle. The four people before you smile as they know exactly what's going on. "What is- WHAAAAA!"

A large, metal tentacle shoots up from the ground, taking you with it.

"Now isn't this a development! A surprise attack from below!" Port exclaims.

The tentacle whips you around and around like a tornado, gaining speed and making you feel dizzy.

"We practiced this. Rogue, get Kin into position," Onyx orders.

"Right," both Rogues respond.

The real Rogue closes her eyes and forms a third one of her, then the two kneel down and set their hands side by side. Rogue jumps, landing one foot on both their hands then getting launched into the air. She's thrown over the tallest building on the stage, close to Dylan. Kin follows Rogue's movements as you're finally slammed into something… that building. At the same time, Kin jumps towards Rogue who pushes him down to the building below and you are slammed onto the top of that building. The second your back connects with the concrete, Kin's haymaker follows suit. The entire crowd watches as the building cracks and falls in on itself with two Huntsmen-in-Training still inside. Dust and debris fly all over the area, even landing near the center.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby shouts from the sidelines, standing up and leaning over the railing.

"A hit like that would hurt," Blake adds.

"I'm not so sure…" Weiss taps her knee as her eyes switch from one place to another. "I think Dylan noticed too."

"That was an impressive show of teamwork from ORKD!" Oobleck compliments.

Dylan looks back to the jumbotron displaying everyone's Semblance gauge. Everyone but Onyx has lost at least some, but you… you've lost far less than you should have. He snickers, turning his gaze back to the arena. "Of course something like that wouldn't work. He's a slippery bastard."

Kin stumbles out of the dust, brushing off bits of debris as he approaches Rogue. She can tell by his eyes that he's fired up, that he's getting deeper and deeper into the fight every time he throws a punch or takes a hit. He's always been like this, but now that he's fighting someone far more intelligent and powerful than a Grimm she has no idea how far he'll go.

"Did you get him?" The three Rogues shout.

Kin shakes his head, clearly unsure. "I hit something…"

"Dior, where's (Y/N)?" Onyx whispers.

"Man, talk about a hit," your voice echoes across the stadium as you step out of a building on the opposite side. "I barely got out of the way of that one. Wait… wait! I got a joke for this!" You cough then step a few feet to the side to "reset" yourself. "Well, that attack was quite smashing, amiright?" You clap your hands and chuckle… with no real response. "Oh come on," you slouch your shoulders. "I guess it wasn't up to your standards. I should try something more… concrete!" You pun, a shining smile on your face. Again, no response. "None of you are fun today," you huff.

Using this calm before the storm, you check the Aura gauges for everyone. Dior's is significantly lower than it should be – hovering around 73 percent.

 _So that metal arm thingy was him. Guess that's another thing I'll have to watch out for._

Kin smiles at you. "Haha, you truly have improved, (Y/N)! You truly are a warrior!"

"Eh, you know, pretty sure I'd be dead otherwise," you chuckle back. "But we'll talk about that later. We have a lovely crowd to entertain… and a beautiful girl to show off to," you wink at the camera.

Blake and Yang look over at their teammates. Ruby believes you're strictly talking about her, while Weiss knows you were just flirting with every girl watching. Even Neo, from a distance, smirks at your comment.

"But, alas, we shall get back to the fi- not this time!" You flip backward, avoiding a metal tentacle.

The tentacles head turns to you and quickly glows red.

"What in the- WHOA!"

You barely dodge a red beam that burns a hole through the arena.

"WHERE WAS THAT AGAINST MERLOT, DIOR?" You desperately shout.

"Take this advantage. Attack at once!" Onyx calmly commands as he loads up an arrow.

Three more tentacles sprout from the arena, all at key points between the forest, the city, and Rogue. The first one retracts and scurries for you once more, putting another thing on your list of dangers. Three Rogues and Kin sprint at you, all coming in from different directions while you're pushed against a concrete wall by the lasers. You duck under one then _**step**_ into the middle of the arena to get more ground. This does, however, bring you closer to your enemies – an unintentional gift and curse. Having three clones, Rogue quickly recognizes and reacts to your new location. The one farthest back throws her two sais forward, letting them loose at the other two. They turn around, grinding along the ground as they wait for the sais to reach them. They grab onto them and are quickly recalled.

"Kin, back here!" The two Rogues shout as they slide beside the man.

You deflect two arrows then flip to the right, dodging a laser. You immediately spin on your heel to turn yourself around and counter the two Rogue's initial assault. The two of them stop behind you, still facing you, and dash forward with the third one in tow.

"My, my, (Y/N)'s in a bind! What's the young man going to do now?" Port cheerfully says, genuinely enjoying the battle before him.

"You don't say?" You shout back.

You hop back, evading both a laser and an arrow, then immediately knock away one of Rogue's strikes. She stumbles behind you, quickly turning around and attempting to stab you. Ducking is the first thing you do, then hop right up to hover over an extended sai. You land right on it and grab the rope. "Ha, can't rope me into anything!" You grab the rope and pull jump back. You pull Rogue with you, then place your other hand father onto the rope and swing her into Kin.

The large man catches the woman, sets her down, and runs at you once again.

"Rogue, w-watch your Aura. You're using t-t-too much."

Rogue, nods to herself before calming down and taking in the two copies she made for herself. Dior is right, she's using too much Aura compared to the little damage she's inflicted on you. Besides, there's enough pressure on you as it is with the rest of her teammates.

You weave from left to right, avoiding lasers and arrows galore. You kneel down then spring towards one of the tentacles. With a precise and powerful slash, you cut the metallic enemy in half… the results don't go the way you planned. Instead of breaking, a new head pops out from where you cut it and lasers begin firing again.

"Oh, come on! I really don't like the tentacles! It's creepy!" You whine, backflipping away from three more lasers. On your last flip, you duck down, almost completely on the ground.

"Got you!" Kin laughs, coming down on your location from the sky.

You push to the right, his fist grazing your flowing coat. He breaks through the arena's floor, becoming the second person to do that within two minutes.

"Jesus, talk about finding loopholes… yeah, that wasn't my best. Hehe, but I enjoyed it," you chuckle, standing straight again. "Wait, lasers! LASERS!" You weave right, left, then dash forward to avoid incoming fire.

Kin and Rogue meet at your location – Rogue from the left while Kin's on the right. You toss your sword to your left hand and smirk. "Alright, dad, let's see if I can brace myself with your bracer!" You swing at Rogue while tightening your right arm. The pressure from the two hits threatens to crush anyone between them… anyone except you. You hold strong, arms shaking as you successfully hold off the two attackers from ORKD.

"I'd like it… if you gave me some space!" You drag both of them down a bit then jump and kick them both away. The two recover quickly and rush you once more, launching a coordinated combination attack that's only more deadly with Onyx and Dior's assistance.

"Oh no… he's being overwhelmed!" Ruby whines.

"Mm… no," Blake shakes her head. "I don't know how, but have you noticed he's just smiling and making jokes."

"Yeah, that's what he always does," Weiss replies.

"Yes, but we've seen him strained. This isn't how he's like. Look at his face, he's calm, he's having fun," she lists off as they all watch you bob and weave, duck and dodge through all the attacks thrown at you. "I don't know how… but he's not being pressured at all."

"Hm…" Weiss taps her arm. "I guess we'll just have to see."

"And young (Y/N) shows his mastery of battle!" Port laughs. "This is indeed an interesting match, wouldn't you say, Professor?"

"Doctor," Oobleck annoyingly corrects. "And you are correct. A four on one match is extreme unorthodox but it seems like the crowd is enjoying it."

To Oobleck's word, the crowd is cheering loud enough to hear across Remnant. Everyone, be it in the stadium or at home, are on the edge of their seats with anticipation. Well, everyone except a small Faunus girl.

"GET IN THERE, DYLAN! KICK THEIR BUTT! WOO! GO DYLAN!" Anut happily cheers.

Dylan chuckles upon hearing Anut. He checks his timer. It's been just over a minute at this point so there's still some time to go. He's excited to enter the fight. You can likely win on your own, but it'd be difficult to get things done when you're constantly being attacked. Numbers can overwhelm, after all.

You twirl your blade around your body, cutting an arrow down and parrying Rogue's attack. You slide to the right, slipping past Kin's attack and getting his blindside. You slash his ribs twice before he hardens that area. You back off, avoiding another arrow and slamming into a tree.

"Oh, jeez, I was not situationally aware," you whisper, looking back at the tree. "Guess you got my back, huh? Hehe-" One of Dior's tentacles burst through the tree, grabbing your face and forcing you along the ground. "AH! TREE YOU TRAITOR!" You shout, breath immediately stopping at the cold metal grasping your face. You slash at it with your blade but the constant movement and weak stance makes you unable to cut through it completely. You're finally slammed against one of the few standing buildings. The shock and impact forces you to drop your sword into the rubble below.

"Well, that's not good," you mumble, turning your attention back to the metal clamp on your face. Luckily, you don't have to worry about it for very long as Kin jump towards and swiftly punches you through the wall. You roll across the floor but quickly bounce off and get to your feet. The dark colours and lack of light give this place a very unpleasant mood, and the raging Kin doesn't make it any better. He clamps his hands together and tries to slam you down, but you dash to the side then back at him, jumping and kneeing his jaw. He metalizes that area before you connect, making the attack completely pointless. You push off his chest and get some distance but he quickly closes it. You redirect each attack and counter with a shot to the nose, but, again, he hardens his face on contact.

 _His control definitely got better. I have to hit him with surprise attacks or I'll never get anywhere._

You weave past a few more of Kin's attacks while he just tanks all of your blows. You can see the fire in his eyes raging ever hotter. Though, you'll definitely be burned if you stay awhile. You're good at hand-to-hand, but Kin's on a whole other level. However, with your recent training, you might have closed the gap. You thought that, anyway, until Kin grabs both your arms then headbutts you so hard you falter to the ground. You push off one elbow and shake your head.

"Okay… head rush…"

Kin takes a few steps then jumps forward, metalizing his arm with the intent of punching you through the ground. You place both of your hands on either side of your head then spring up, legs completely straight. They connect with Kin's stomach, launching him through the ceiling and onto another floor entirely. You land in an arc, taking a breather.

"Have I done that before? I feel like I've hit Kin with that… at some point… huh… maybe it was back when-" Rogue and Onyx roll through the window, surprising you. "Oh, right, fight, quite… um… a delight! HAHA!" Of course, one of Dior's tentacles burst through the ground, almost grabbing your neck once again. "AH! What a fright!"

You jump diagonally twice, avoiding the metallic arms. Then lean back to barely avoid Witherbrand's blade state. Onyx twirls his weapon as his assault continues, but you manage to read each of his movements and effectively dodge it all. Even when Rogue hops in, putting the pressure on, you still keep your cool. Ducking under Onyx's attack then blocking his left kick, weaving past Rogue's sais only to block Witherbrand with your bracer, spinning around a tentacle, grabbing onto it, and kicking both Rogue and Onyx back. The cameras, and the people watch as you somehow hold your own against this overwhelming assault. Of course, the party wouldn't be complete without Kin. The bulky man breaks through the ceiling and attempts to hit you. A backflip keeps you safe, but it also ensures the destruction of your floor. It crumbles beneath your hands and everyone else's feet.

"Why me?" You holler, attempting to get back onto your feet.

Kin takes advantage of your weakened state and rushes you, slamming his fists into your stomach twice, grabbing your leg to lift you over him and hits you three more times, then twirls you in front of him with a final kick, sending you towards the wall. You break through the cement but recover before hitting the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow- wait, Aura… right," you stand up straight and roll your shoulder. "Sheesh, that one caught me off guard. Good job."

Rogue, Kin, and Onyx leap out of the building and land on the other side of you, standing before the forest. Before you can rush at them again, Dylan lands in front of you. "Your two minutes are up… and you don't have your sword."

"Oh yeah, hehe… damn, I was having fun."

"Indeed," Dylan extends his hand towards the rubble. "But why are you messing around? You could've finished this already." Dylan flicks his hand towards you, throwing your sword with some water.

You catch the blade and quickly sheathe it. "But using my semblance makes it boring," you hunch over. "It's far more intense if I try to dodge it – or fail to. Makes it fun, you know?"

"You were always one to mess around too much. If you used your Semblance effectively you could have won through ring outs."

"Pfft, no," you wave your hand at him. "What does that prove?"

"It proves your strategy."

"It proves your strategy!" You repeat in a posh voice. "Indubitably, I consistently prove my intelligence through speech. Perhaps we could converse with the fabrications of mankind to-"

"You… are pathetic."

"No, no, no," you wave your finger at him. "I believe the proper term is, mhm, shut up," you end with a proud smile.

Dylan adjusts Zephyr Shale and sighs. "Whatever. Are we going to fight now?"

"Hehe, admit it, you're just as excited as I am!"

You both walk towards the three students, confident smiles on your faces.

"Indeed I am, Slater, indeed I am. Do you have a plan?"

"Of course. If you can find Dior in the forest then they'll lose their tactical advantage. He's been feeding them intel this whole time."

"You'll distract the others?"

"As many as I can."

"Then let's do this."

You both dash towards each other, Dylan hanging back a bit while you move in front of him. You burst off your back leg once more and clash with Kin's fist. You push him to the left, unsheathe your blade, and attack Rogue. She's pushed back by your assault, only saved by Onyx's arrow. You launch yourself off of Rogue to dodge the arrow then attack once again.

Because of your distraction, Dylan slips past the three fighters and enters the forest. Onyx notices him at the last second, but this distraction costs him.

"Eyes up!" You shout, appearing out of a shadow and kicking him down.

Before your feet even touched the ground you _**step**_ before Kin, midair, and launch both heels into his head. You flip back then _**step**_ above Rogue with your blade out, falling down and cutting her down. She slams against the ground, completely surprised by this attack.

"It seems (Y/N) has chosen to utilize his Semblance! A powerful one at that. The ability to move instantaneously is quite a game changer!"

"Very true, very true. Not only that, (Y/N) seems to move faster than I remember. What an astonishing student!"

"I don't think you wanna stroke my ego anymore, professors," you chuckle. "Now come on!"

Meanwhile, Dylan hears the professors speak highly of you as he jumps through the trees. "Hmph, whatever," he shakes his head. "I haven't even tried yet."

Dylan lands on the ground, slamming his hands into the grass. Small streams of water wriggle away from his hands, quickly covering ground. "I need to find Dior without looking through the whole forest. My water will work."

The moment the last word leaves Dylan's lips, three metal tentacles burst from the ground and attempt to beat on him like a drum. Once they reach a certain distance sudden spurts of water stop them dead in its tracks. The metallic arms continuously attempt to hit Dylan but his control over water makes him temporarily untouchable. During this time he feels one of his streams touch Dior's setup.

"Got you…"

Dylan stands up and fishes some yellow dust out of his back pocket. He places it in both gauntlets then slams his hands together. A whirlwind of water surrounding him. He slams his fists together to connect Zephyr Shale. The crystal glows with a light blue and faint yellow. It explodes with a beautiful flash of colour and wind, combined with the water he gathered around him. It breaks through trees, pushes grass and dirt out of the way with such power. Dior only recognizes the attack when it tears through the forest before him. It collides with his shield, putting a toll on his Aura.

The wind and water blows through the trees to such an extent that you and the other members of ORKD are pushed back.

"Jeez, Dylan, calm down a bit," you mumble.

Dylan feels the resistance from Dior's shield. "Curious… very well." Dylan disconnects Zephyr Shale and jumps through the blast. He charges Zephyr Shale and his own arm for the final punch. He throws his fist forward and clashes with Dior's shield. It slowly cracks under the pressure of air, water, lightning, and Dylan's punch. Dylan pushes his punch even more, firing the second gauntlet back to give him more momentum. His Aura finally gives out under Dylan's ferocious assault. His fist connects with Dior, sending the young man flying with the wind. He slams into the barrier, ensuring his defeat. A buzzer goes off, signifying his elimination from the match.

"And Dior Aurik has fallen from the stadium!" Port announces.

"What?" Rogue questions, looking up at the screen.

"Hehe, you gotta pay attention," you stretch your legs a bit. "I coulda hit you there. Now, come on, I thought you wanted me to use my Semblance too," you end with a smirk.

"Hm… Kin, come with me. We'll defeat his partner. Rogue, deal with Slater."

Both Onyx and Rogue look to Kin, worried how deep into the fight he's become. He's got a reputation for becoming too engrossed by the fight. It started happening during the battle with the Hydra and if it happened now…

"I… very well, Onyx!" Kin slightly twitches. "Save some for me, Rogue!" He requests before turning and sprinting into the forest.

Onyx follows, leaving you to deal with Rogue. You place your hands on your hips and cock your head to the side. "Why do I feel like this'll end weirdly? I mean, we've barely talked since seeing each other again and now we're fighting? Seems weird."

"Tsk, how can you be so calm? You abandoned us!" She dashes forward and attacks, completely missing her mark. "Abandoned me!" She slashes back and misses once more. "How can you laugh it off like it's nothing? How can they not care?" She furiously shouts, letting her arms move in all directions to hit you.

You keep backing up, dodging every attack she throws. They're unfocused and wild, making them predictable and easy to avoid. You bring her to the city, then jump onto a piece of rubble.

"Yeah, I guess I did. You have more of a reason to be mad than they do… and I guess I have avoided you most of this time," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your head. "And that's unfair to you. Guess my timing isn't great either, considering where we are…" You look around at the arena and cameras focusing on both battles unfolding in the stadium. "But, you know… I-" You jump off the rubble as Rogue's sai connects with it.

She flicks her wrist to retract the blade then follows you once more. She watches you run into a two-story building then slide around to face her. You want her to follow you. You want to both defeat and apologize to her. It's been on your mind for a while since meeting her and, when taking a bigger look at everything, it's something you have to do… even with a bunch of people watching.

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Dylan takes a breath to reward himself for defeating one of ORKD's members. A feat you failed to achieve in the two minutes. It's clear to him you don't take these battles as seriously as he does. He'll use his entire arsenal at once to swiftly eliminate enemies while you mess around for fun. His ears pick up two sets of legs coming to his location, meaning you're taking on only one person. Considering how heavy they sound, it's likely the two men are coming for him. He looks towards the sound and readies himself. The sounds get louder and louder… then become only one set of feet. This one sound makes itself known when Kin runs through a tree like paper. His smile is wide and his heart is pounding for a great fight. Dylan readies himself, eyes quickly looking around the forest.

 _The second set of footsteps stopped. Onyx must be hiding in the trees. I'll keep an eye out._

Dylan blocks Kin's initial attack with the right half of Zephyr Shale. He slides back, hand faltering at the attack.

 _This attack… it's so heavy. I can't be hit by this_.

"GO DYLAN! WASH'EM AWAY!"

The Faunus punches Kin's stomach, the air pressure pushing the large man back. Kin rolls his shoulders and rushes him again, throwing two hooks which Dylan ducks and leans back to avoid, then Dylan spins around, summoning a small tendril of water to trip Kin then kick him into a nearby tree. He throws his hand forward, wrapping the man with water like a rope. Kin struggles to break out of the water, but he manages to get to his feet. Dylan's hands shake a bit as he restrains the man, but he can easily throw him off the stag-

An arrow whips through the air and collides with Dylan's hands. This sudden attack breaks his concentration enough for Kin to break free. "I knew it!" Dylan sneers, turning and firing two shots of air towards that location.

To his surprise, he hears movement but fails to see it. Dylan can't focus on that though since Kin is ready to battle yet again.

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Rogue's sais flash each time they're swung. The tight quarters would give her an advantage but your speed and reaction time make that advantage null. You're not even using your blade at this point, which aggravates Rogue even further.

"You know, I think we're both different people," you duck under her sai then tilt your head to avoid the other. "And I know I was wrong to leave you all… I left a lot of people behind… but you… maybe," you slide your fingers between the blade and its guards, holding Rogue back as she angrily looks at you. "Maybe if I was more mature then we would've worked out… but I wasn't and that's my fault," you casually speak as you hold back Rogue's full strength. "But I'm happy at Beacon now," you say with a smile. "I have a family, more friends, I've found out more… a lot more… look," you shake your head. "I just want to say that… I'm sorry. You didn't deserve what I did to you… and I understand why you're mad. I would be too. Even if you don't forgive me I want to say I'm sorry."

Rogue pulls back her sais and stares into your eyes, a certain pain emanating from her. "You..." She looks away, clenching her fists around her weapons. "I could never truly be angry at you… especially after you… damnit," she wipes a tear from her eye. "Why are you like this?" She shouts.

You shrug with a smile. "I ask myself that every day. I think a lot of people do too," you snicker. "But… I don't know, I just don't like things left unfinished. Heh, that's new for me too, I think. But I can tell you're fighting with hatred and anger. I want to fight you with a clear head – a true fight. So, what do you say? Friends?" You offer your hand, smiling.

"Hmph… I… fine," she looks away.

"Heh… that reminds me of old Rogue… which, come to think of it, reminds me of Weiss. Huh… actually…" Gears start to turn in your head. "Nah, probably a coincidence."

"Why not tell me this sooner? Why during a fight?"

"Hehe, I don't know," you shrug. "Cause I had nowhere to run this time? Maybe to throw you off with emotions rather than jokes? I don't really know, myself. It does feel like a weight off my chest, though. I actually gotta-" A sudden sound reaches your ear. You turn to look out the door and notice impending doom.

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Kin's heavy punches push Dylan back foot after foot until he eventually reaches the edge of the stage. He looks back, seeing the grey floor which marks doom, then sharply turns his gaze on Kin. Between his constant assault and the annoying arrows from Onyx, Dylan hasn't had a moment to counter-attack. However, he's gathered the fact that Kin can only harden one of his limbs at a time. If he times it properly, he may be able to deal kill two birds with one stone. Dylan hears an arrow be shot while Kin rushes at him, a battle-consumed smile on his face, prepared for the final hit. Dylan dodges to the left and accurately reflects the arrow off of Zephyr Shale and into Kin's leg. Of course, his Aura protects him, but this does knock the man off balance. Dylan punches behind him to unleash wind and accelerate him behind his bulky opponent.

"It's over!" Dylan shouts, launching two, wide waves of air that pushes Kin off the edge.

Onyx instantly reacts, loading a special arrow and firing it at his teammate. When close enough, the arrow's head explodes into a net that catches Kin. The butt end of the arrow glows a dull steel colour – a similar colour to Onyx's left glove. It attracts the arrow and Kin back to the stage and above Dylan's current position. Kin's released, falling upon Dylan with a heavy smash the sends the Faunus hurling into the ground. He slams against the grass and dirt, bouncing once before firing both arms to fling himself away from Kin's follow-up attack. Dylan rolls across the ground for a few cycles until he pushes himself off the grass and skids to a halt.

"Clearly I can't hold back here…" Dylan slams his hands together before his face. "I'll wash you all away!"

Water spirals around Dylan once more as he concentrates on his attack. Water builds up extremely quickly above him, which Kin and Onyx can see. What they don't realize is that he's distracting them with that small amount. A far larger, far more dangerous collection is amassing on the edge of the arena. Before the two can formulate a plan, Dylan's attack is ready. He pulls both hands to his side, clenching his fists to direct and speed up the flow of water. A massive torrent crashes against the arena, knocking over trees and damaging a few cameras that were a little too close to the battlefield.

"What?" Onyx can only say this before the waves take him away, slamming him into trees both in the way and caught by the water.

Kin metalizes his arm and slams it into the arena, breaking it once again. The water passes by Dylan as if he's a vacuum of space – untouchable. He crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "I'm not called 'Son of the Waves' for nothing."

The water rushes across the arena, passing by the open area and hitting the broken city. You spot this, completely thrown off and in a slight panic. You _**leap**_ high above the arena but not out of bounds, leaving poor Rogue to be washed up like Onyx. The water adopts the buildings into its current, leaving only two left standing.

"My, my! What a move from Dylan Brine! He's no slouch!" Port laughs.

"That attacks sure to leave a ripple in team ORKD!" Oobleck adds.

"No fair, I was gonna make that joke!" You shout whilst falling back to the watered arena.

The buzzer goes off as the water smashes against the stadium's barrier. Rogue and Onyx's pictures go grey, signaling a knockout. You land on the stage, splashing in some of the leftover puddles. Dylan casually walks out of what's left of the forest.

"I defeated three of them in less than two minutes. What did you do in that time?" He says with a coy smile.

"I had fun!" You cross your arms and look away.

"What a childish response."

"Hey, I was trying to apologize to Rogue! You ruined it!"

"You apologized during a fight?" He raises his brow.

"I don't know! When was I ever good with timing? Ask Weiss! I….." You stop and look around, remembering your audio is being broadcasted across Vale and beyond.

Weiss facepalms as her teammates giggle.

"You what, Slater?" He says with the same smile. "What exactly did you do with Weiss?"

"I respected her and always arrived to social events on time."

"Why do I not believe that? Even with the ability to teleport you're late."

"It's called Shadow Transmission, Dylan! You could at least call it by its proper name!"

"You don't call my Semblance by its proper name."

"Who's gonna call you, 'Wielder of H2O,' or whatever?" You throw your hands around.

"I'm almost surprised you know the term H2O," he snickers.

"You highly overestimate me."

"Underestimate."

"You highly underestimate me," you correct. "Shut up, I was caught up in the moment."

"And the world can see your idiocy," he gestures to the stands.

"I'm sure they can relate to being overwhelmed!"

"But not being an idiot," he remarks.

Dylan's confidence is quickly shattered when a metal punch connects with his jaw, sending him barreling into some leftover debris. You see Kin slide to a halt, his eyes quickly looking for his next target.

"Ha, who's the idiot now," you chuckle. Kin locks into you, his eyes barely resembling his casual self. "Oh… me."

Kin sprints towards you, arms out and smile wide as he attempts to grab hold of you. Instinctively, you attempt to jump over him but he's ahead of the game this time. He grabs your right food and slams you against the ground.

"Ah, head!" You moan.

He tightens his grip on your foot then begins to slam you on either side, denting the arena with each hit.

"Shoulder, knee, head, head, STOP IT WITH MY- OW!"

He spins you in a circle over his head then throws you at Dylan. The Faunus gets himself onto his feet and rubs his jaw. "What the hell hit-" Your body connects with his, forcing him back on the ground.

"Eeh… so this is what they were talking about," you moan as you push off Dylan.

"Why didn't you teleport out of the way?" Dylan scorns, pushing off the ground.

"I was dizzy, Dylan!"

"You flip all the time!"

"Voluntarily! It's different when someone else does it! You know, like, when-"

"I don't care about your metaphors. What's up with that guy?" Dylan stands up and starts firing pressurized air at Kin.

"It's… well, think of it as a… battle frenzy, I guess. Onyx told me about it. He gets really into fights which usually isn't a problem since he has partners to keep him in line. But with everyone knocked and us being his enemy… well, we'll have a tough time."

"Of course… Christ, he's even recovering Aura!"

"You can do that?"

"With a strong enough willpower, yes."

"Huh… news to me."

"MOVE!"

You and Dylan jump opposite directions as Kin's fist connects with your previous location. You both slide to a halt and charge him at the same time. Kin, even in his frenzied state, can tell you're going to double team him. Instead of waiting, Kin turns on his heel and charges Dylan.

"No!" You sprint even faster, watching as the two get closer and closer. "Dylan! His stomach!"

Putting trust in you, he readies for an abdominal attack. Before the two collide, you appear in a burst of shadow, spinning and driving your shin into Kin's face. Dylan slides in and shoves both hands into his chest, releasing air to carry the man high into the air. You step above him and kick him right back down to the ground.

"Dylan!" You _**step**_ beside him. "Blood rain. We're gonna finish this in one shot."

"I… right. Give me a moment to prepare."

"No problem. I'm gonna wear him down a bit in preparation. Take your time!"

You sprint towards the recovering Kin, who's in the wastelands of the city. You hop over a few foundations of buildings as you sheath your blade. You burst off the last one and charge a punch, which Kin sees. He leans to the right to charge his own fist. The two clash, but his overpowers yours instantly. You topple back a few meters but manage to catch yourself rather quickly.

"Right, one more time!"

You repeat the process again, running towards your opponent as he laughs maniacally. You each charge up your punch and throw it, but this time you purposefully miss his fist and face, instead hooking your arm into his. With this brief moment, you slam your other fist into his ribs three times before he gets the chance to metalize that area. The moment you see steel, you cross your arm over the other two and hook him. He stumbles back but catches himself on his left leg. He smiles, charging his fist and throwing it again. You do the same, but this time you feel his fist graze across your cheek, missing, while your hits him square in the face… his metalized face.

"What? When did he learn to-" Kin grabs your face and slams you on the ground, shaking the entire platform. He grabs your throat and holds you in the air, slowly strangling you as you struggle to break free.

"Slater!" Dylan shouts.

"Come on, (Y/N)! YOU CAN DO IT!" Ruby screams from the sidelines.

You can feel your breath running low. You might not die, but you'll fall unconscious at this rate. You need to find a way out of his grip, but it's far too much for even your strength. You look to one of the two standing buildings and step both you and Kin overtop of it, with you on top and Kin falling into it. He quickly recognizes the change in scenery and the punch to the face you deliver. He lets go of your neck and drives his fist into your stomach then grabs your arm to pull you in for another attack. You twist and turn in the air, giving each other a variety of punches and kicks.

The rest of ORKD watches from the sidelines, unable to do anything as their friend succumbs to his violence.

"We have to do something."

"We c-c-can't."

"We can talk to him or-"

"Rogue, calm down," Onyx cuts it. "Everything will be fine. Just watch the fight."

"But-"

"Watch the fight."

Kin gets the upper hand, grabbing your throat once more and slamming you into the rooftop of the building. You both break through each floor, having the previous one crumble on itself until the whole building is piled on top of you. Dylan looks up to the Aura gauge. Kin's is slowly increasing from 63% while yours has dropped to 32%.

Your body is thrown out from the rubble and into one of the few standing walls. You break through it and slide across the ground. Your breathing is heavy but you manage to get back to your feet in no time, a wide smile on your face.

"Kin… you're one hell of a guy… but so am I."

You grab the hilt of your blade and wait… and wait… just for the moment when Kin burst out from the rubble towards you. In a flash you slash his face, disorienting him, then grab his body and toss him into the final standing building, following up with seven sonic waves that bury him even deeper. The shock from his entry and your attacks collapse this building as well, leaving barely anything taller than a human standing. Instead of bursting out he throws everything off of him with an ear-piercing scream. He stands still for just a moment, taking a breath from all the fighting. You place your left hand on the pommel and smile. "Alright, Kin, I'll get a little more serious. Get ready, Dylan… this will finish it!"

You grip the hilt and throw the blade towards Kin at a breakneck speed. You wait for it to get closer before disappearing into shadow and appearing behind your opponent. You slam your knee right in the back of his skull, forcing him forward and closer to the incoming sword. You _**step**_ in front of him, hand already in position to grab the sword. You unleash a flurry of blows that the majority of the crowd can't even see. Flashes of black, a blur of arms, and Kin's reaction makes it clear you're attacking.

You jump over him, still unleashing your slashes until you land behind him, then dash through Kin, _**step**_ to his left and dash through, and repeat and repeat and repeat from every direction. The area fills with shadow as you completely overwhelm Kin and surprise everyone who knows you. They knew you could teleport, but the speed, accuracy, and power you're using are beyond what they know. Even teachers like Port, Oobleck, Glynda, and Ozpin are pleasantly surprised at your performance.

"You were… holding back this whole time? Tsk, show off," Dylan says under his breath.

Kin's body is pushed back through the broken city by your attacks, then he's suddenly teleported above the stage. You stop for a moment, casually holding your sword as you stare Kin in the eyes. He tries to throw a punch but the moment his arm moves you've attacked and disappeared once again. Your assault begins again, but this time only for a few moments. You appear above him and lodge your fist into his cheek. The boy hurls down to the arena where you're patiently waiting. As his eyes meet with yours you unleash another powerful, near invisible slash. Kin's unwillingly sent in a completely different direction, which you jump to follow. You _**step**_ above him, grab his face, and force it into the ground. His skin grinds along the metal of the stadium until he adopts a similar composition, but by that time you _**step**_ in front of him and kick him straight back into the air only to appear over him and cut him back down. Kin bounces off the floor, hovering for a moment as you circle him, attacking with every step you make.

The crowd quickly notices that the blur they're seeing has changed to red. In a short time, you've added blood to your sword, amplifying its attack potency to new heights. Kin's body isn't even close to you anymore. It's a foot away and few inches above you while your body is practically motionless.

"Dylan, now!" You shout, slashing horizontally to send the boy into the air.

Dylan throws his hands towards the airborne opponent, sending a wave of water to surrounding and suspend him mid-air. He moves his right hand to you, grabbing you in another set of water to finish the plan. He accelerates the water pressure to form a makeshift cannon that fires you at the helpless Kin. You slam your blade into the sheath and watch as you approach your enemy. With your eyes closed, you think…

 _Wait… wait… NOW!_

Your eyes open the same moment you slash through the water. The blood on your sword mixes with it, making it impossible to see Kin in the small circle of water. You slowly sheath your blade and exhale.

"… it's over."

The ball explodes, raining blood over the entire fighting stage. You land on the ground just before Kin crashes. The buzzer rings to signal his Aura being below necessary levels.

"And there we have it! The first match of the Vytal Festival tournament goes to (Y/N) Slater and Dylan Brine of Beacon Academy!" Port announces.

The crowd goes wild, students and civilians of all parts cheer for the fantastic bout. You, however, are more concerned about your friend. Blood stops flowing from your hand and your persona returns to a chipper one. You run over to your friend, sliding to your knee as you approach him.

"Kin, are you okay?

Kin rubs his head as he lifts his chest off the ground. "Oh… I did it again, didn't I?" He looks to you with a bit of sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry, (Y/N)."

"Psh, don't worry about it. You were amazing!" You pat his shoulder. "Got me a few times, let me tell you."

Kin smiles at your demeanor and joins you. "Indeed! Twas a fight for the ages!" He stands up and looks to the crowd. "Thank you for hosting me, all of you! This was the greatest fight of my life! You," he looks to you once more. "Are amazing."

"Ah, nah, I'm just pretty good," you end with a snicker, looking up at the man. "To be honest, if I didn't have my Semblance or my… special training, I woulda lost. Seriously, you've been stronger than me this whole time and refused to tell me. I feel insulted."

"Sounds like we need to go another round!" He smiles, raising his hands.

You do the same, both with your hands and your mouth. "Sounds like it!"

"Perhaps later," Dylan intrudes. "Other matches will be taking place… eventually. I assume they'll have to fix our mess," he looks around at the broken cameras and torn up floor.

"The signs of a good fight, my good man!" Kin pats Dylan's back. "You were a formidable opponent! I see why (Y/N) likes you."

"You were too, Kin. It was a pleasure to fight you and your team," Dylan nods.

"YOU DID IT!" Ruby screams as she runs towards you.

"How did she get here?"

"You think anything could keep her from getting to you," Dylan whispers.

"Good point."

You open your arms for Ruby to leap into. You spin around once before setting her down. "I did indeed. Wasn't easy, though."

You look over at Rogue, Onyx, and Dior who're walking towards you. Rogue squints at the sight of you and Ruby… but eventually gives-in to a smile. She turns her attention to Kin.

"You dummy! You let yourself get too into the fight again," she scolds.

"With opponents like these, how could I not!" He cheers. "You're smiling too, Rogue!"

She leans against his chest and sighs. "You had me worried…"

Kin wraps his hand around her. "I thank you for the concern, Rogue."

"(Y/N), that was an excellent battle. You've improved immensely," Onyx offers his hand.

"You too, Onyx. But Dylan's right, we should get off the stage. I bet Glynda's gonna fix it and I'm sure she'll find some reason to hit me with that demonic stick of hers."

"It's a riding crop," Dylan corrects.

"It's an instrument of terror, that's what it is!"

Many people watch as your little group bickers. Most talk about the quality of the fight but some say nothing, some formulate their own opinions from their past experience with you. Past teacher smile at your progress, two specific ones being at a bar and in an airship. Both intend on coming to Beacon and both have very different things to say.

 **Okay, first off, this fight blew RWBY vs. ABRN. That was one of my main goals since that fight was… pretty poo. I actually really like this fight. Like… REALLY like this fight. I had a ton of fun writing and choreographing it. Plus, seeing ORKD fight was fun. Kin's battle frenzy was hinted at during the Hydra battle but I doubt anyone expected it to run that deep. Makes you wonder how he'll deal in a possible future situation?**

 **Anyway, I have a couple things to say this time around. First, Volume 3 may not be as long as you guys think. I'd be surprised if it was 12 chapters. I'm not rewriting fights that don't change and since the majority of Volume 3 is tournament fights… I mean, nobody wants me to rewrite that. Just watch the show. So, you guys can either see it as good or bad. I see it as good because I get to the Volume 3 finale, 3.5, and Volume 4 a lot faster. I don't have it all planned out yet but, honestly, 10 chapters is being generous.**

 **Also, OC contest! Yes, today is the day I announce the OCs that made it! First off, thank you everyone who submitted. Obviously, I can't choose all of them so… sorry if yours didn't make it. Anyway, the winners are… Logan Whitelatch, Mackenzie Allen, and Kdoggy007! I want to give a few shout outs to Thomas Cowart, Lycan, Rainspecial, Aren Lore, SSJC J, Company Inc, Energy Dragon Slayer, Boredguy999 and Rain106! These were probably the ones I looked over the most. I enjoyed all the OCs! Just because yours isn't there doesn't mean I didn't like them. I'd have a LOT of names if I listed off everyone. I do feel bad that I can't include everyone. There are so many good OCs with colourful designs and interesting backstories, but I did say only three were allowed and I have to keep with that. Again, thank you to everyone who submitted an OC. At least you're still in the story, right! Also, to the winners, I did have to make changes to your OC. Don't take that personally. Every OC I was given needed changes in one way or another. Some of it was names, actually. I have a specific team name in mind so I have to kinda alter it for that. If you want some info on what was changed then I'll try to tell you unless it's a bit of a spoiler. Actually, if you want to give me a specific name that goes with the team then feel free to message me about that. If not I'll assume you're fine with whatever name is given. When they appear, I will make sure to point out who they were and their original names. I just don't want to make it too obvious at the moment. A little surprise for the other readers, you know?**

 **Lastly, there have been changes to my Pa treo n! Yeah, that thing. I barely talk about it so at least let me tell you what's different. For starters, it's now a per month payment which means it's more stable. Plus, I added some new rewards! Since this is the only one I think people will want, I actually have a Discord server which I'm very active in. It's the $1 reward so… I mean, it's not that much. It helps me out a little and I get to talk to all you lovely readers. Again, Pa treo n is never mandatory but it helps and I thought adding this very simple and low-cost reward would kill two birds with one stone. It's there if you're interested. (Yes, I know the website is spaced out oddly but that's because Fanfiction literally deletes the word if I leave it as is. It's finicky like that.)**

 **Anyhow, I'll see you all next time! Let's get that Volume 3 hype going!**

 **Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan**

 **I recently revamped my to include a few more rewards with a steadier donation price. Things like one-shots, short stories, and full stories are a thing now! Plus there's a Discord reward for a dollar, so that's sort of neat. You can check it out yourself if you're interested. It's completely optional, of course! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan**

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 **Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning!**


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